A bioeconomic MPA study based on cellular automata population growth and distribution

This paper investigates possible biological and economic effects of using marine sanctuaries as a management tool, employing cellular automata techniques to model biological growth and area distribution, assuming open access to the fish stock resources outside the protected area. The cellular automata model incorporates a fish harvest model based on standard assumptions. In agreement with previous studies this study confirms that large protected areas are necessary for significant impact on stock conservation, given standard assumptions. The conclusion may however not be equally unambiguous when employing more realistic scenarios, assuming non-uniform distribution of biomass and fishing effort. This study shows that significant stock conserving effects could be obtained even when less that 10% of the total distribution area of the stock is protected from fishing activities.

► Uniform distribution of effort on irregularly distributed fish is less stock conservative than when systematically approaching fish dense areas. ► Small marine sanctuaries may have significant impact on stock conservation and economic performance. ► Compared with the cellular automata model, the logistic model underestimates the stock biomasses in case of diffusion.