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Using Opportunistic Datasets to Infer Spatial Management Strategies of Local Fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean Region
Author(s) -
Tzadik Orian E.,
Arnold William S.,
Brooks Mallory,
Cruz-Motta Juan Jose,
Garcia-Moliner Graciela,
Mar Lopez Maria,
Rankin Tauna L.,
Sabine Alexis M.,
Stephenson Sarah P.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1002/fsh.10548
Subject(s) - fisheries management , fishery , caribbean region , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , environmental resource management , fisheries science , function (biology) , community management , business , ecology , political science , fishing , economics , biology , evolutionary biology , latin americans , law
As an initial step towards the implementation of an ecosystem‐based approach to management, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council has recently ratified three island‐based fishery management plans that will supplant the existing regional plans. The newly formed management plans account for nuances among the island platforms in the U.S. Caribbean, including ecological, cultural, and social considerations. The island‐based approach represents a novel strategy among the eight fishery management councils in the United States and therefore remains an untested technique. This study evaluated the decision to separate fishery management among the island platforms by comparing fish assemblages through time in the region. The results suggest that the structure and function of fish communities are spatially driven, with little temporal influence. Combined with the ecological, cultural, and social differences among the islands, the spatial nature of the fish community data support the Caribbean Fishery Management Council decision to transition to island‐based management plans.