Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2024-LR - Flipbook - Page 41
Our Impacts in 2023
Changes in Illegal Fishing
Dynamics in a Large-Scale
MPA During COVID-19
Collins, C., Kerry, C.R., de Vos, A., Karnad, D., Nuno, A.,
Letessier, T.B. (2023) ‘Changes in illegal fishing dynamics
in a large-scale MPA during Covid-19’ - Current Biology
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.076
A 19-fold increase in suspected illegal fishing vessels
per month was documented in the marine protected
area around the Chagos Archipelago during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic shifted government priorities
from environmental protection towards safeguarding
human populations, altering the control of illegal activity
in protected areas. This study assessed those changes in
the Chagos marine protected area (MPA) by reviewing
information from Automatic Identification Systems,
enforcement data from the patrol vessel, and research
in fisher communities in Sri Lanka and India. Each data
source provided different insights, highlighting the value
of using multiple different data sources to understand
illegal fishing and that illegal incursions may be
considerably higher than reported.
Until 2020, data from enforcement showed detected
incursions of illegal fishing vessels within the MPA were
relatively stable, averaging one monthly. Historically, these
vessels were primarily Sri Lankan (72%) targeting sharks,
although Indian vessels (28%) targeting a broader taxonomic
diversity of catches, including reef fish, were also seen.
Marine Science 2023
39
However, in 2022, incursions, primarily of Indian vessels
(95%), spiked to 19 per month on average. Indian vessels
have considerably larger hulls than Sri Lankan (~30,000, and
~3,500 kg, respectively), posing a greater potential threat.
Increased illegal activity in protected areas during
COVID-19 has been linked to altered monitoring and
control by authorities. In the Chagos MPA, COVID-19
protocols prevented enforcement personnel from boarding
apprehended vessels to collect evidence from April 2020
to August 2022, reducing the likelihood of convictions.
As illegal activity only increased after 1.5 years and only
for Indian vessels, broader socio-political factors and
historical MPA management are also influencing fisher
responses to COVID-19-related effects. For example,
fluctuating fuel prices during the recent Sri Lankan
economic crisis may have impacted the ability of fishers to
conduct long-distance fishing trips.
Changes in illegal activity in MPAs globally may persist
over long timescales unless management approaches
are broad and adaptive to individual contexts. When
considering potential solutions, widespread adoption of
technology, such as remote surveillance of vessels, can
mitigate illegal activities but remains unfeasible for many
MPAs globally due to financial and political barriers. This
study recommends a broader suite of options, including
a renewed focus on regional approaches to combating
illegal fishing, formal bilateral agreements between
competent authorities in relevant countries, and increasing
community-based work.
Wrecked fishing boat in the Egmont Atoll © Jon Slayer
