More evidence that marine sanctuaries are effective

Great news for supporters of establishing Marine Protected Areas, Marine Sanctuaries and the like.

NAIROBI, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Protecting marine areas for even relatively brief periods can significantly restore depleted fish stocks, scientists said on Monday, citing a study of octopus catches in Madagascar.

The researchers found that after an area off the coast of the Indian Ocean island nation was closed to fishermen for seven months, the number of octopus caught later rose 13 times while the total weight of the octopus catch jumped 25 times.

"The increase ... was far greater than we ever expected," said Alasdair Harris, scientific director of Blue Ventures, the marine conservation group that conducted the fieldwork.

"This study shows MPAs (marine protected areas) not only serve as a powerful conservation tool helping species thrive, but can also be a powerful economic tool helping fisheries remain productive and profitable," he said in a statement.

Experts say nearly 75 percent of fish stocks, from tuna to cod, are caught faster than they can breed as more and more people depend on them for food and livelihoods.

For the full release read http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1846886.htm

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2007-01-21