Dear colleagues, We would like to inform you of our new publication entitled Tragedy of the Commons in a Mediterranean MPA: The Case of Gyaros Island Marine Reserve at the Journal Sustainability 2024, 16, 1918. The pdf copy is available online via the following link https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051918
The article showcases the impact of uncontrolled fishing within the Gyaros Marine Protected during the summer of 2022, following the decision by the Greek government to open the MPA to small scale fisheries without any form of control. One of the key goals for the establishment of the Gyaros MPA in 2019 is the conservation of one of the most important populations of the Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Abstract: Gyaros Island (Aegean Sea) is a recently (2019) established MPA in the Mediterranean Sea, allowing spatiotemporal small-scale fishing (SSF) activities with specific access rules. However, due to the inability of the state authorities to establish any fishing permit process, Gyaros MPA initially functioned as a No-Take Zone (NTZ), offering a rare opportunity for scientific monitoring. Significant political pressure by fisher organizations led to the opening of the MPA in June 2022 without any fishing permit restriction. The unprecedented ‘race for fish’ that followed led to a significant deterioration of the MPA status, as confirmed by scientific monitoring before and after the opening. Outcry from national media, based on concerns raised by the scientific community and NGOs, resulted in lifting access to fishing in September 2022, upgrading Gyaros MPA to a full NTZ. This study aimed to assess if and how the MPA functioning was impacted based on a series of experimental fishing trials and questionnaire surveys conducted with local fishers. Although a substantial part of the fishing community’s mindset is embracing MPAs, our results also suggest that the self-interests of a fishers’ minority, along with non-science-based policy by the national authorities, have led to overfishing and deterioration of MPA status. To have a more comprehensive perspective of the status of fisheries within the Gyaros MPA over the years since its establishment, we suggest that you also read the previous relevant article https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262943, published by colleagues from the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR). Preliminary results from the fishing experimental surveys which are currently continuing within the Gyaros MPA by HCMR, suggest that the fish populations are now recovering to the levels prior to the MPA opening. Regards, Amalia Alberini & Spyros Kotomatas WWF Greece Charilaou Trikoupi 119-121, 114 73, Athens, Greece Tel: + 30 210 3314 893 | E-mail: a.alber...@wwf.gr<mailto:a.alber...@wwf.gr>, s.kotoma...@wwf.gr<mailto:s.kotoma...@wwf.gr> https://www.wwf.gr/en/
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