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Data and outputs from: Spatial assessment of recreational fishing displacement from marine protected areas

Tablada, Jordi1

Published May 13, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qfttdz0xb

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May 13, 2026 version files 50.13 MB

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Abstract

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) to achieve healthy and resilient ecosystems is a proven conservation strategy to generate a wide range of ecological and socio-economic benefits. However, the planning and design of MPAs must be well thought out to avoid unintended management consequences. Among the things that practitioners should consider is the potential for fishing effort displaced from MPAs to exacerbate fishing impacts outside of MPAs. Commercial fisheries are generally well studied when analysing and predicting fishing displacement, but recreational fisheries often receive less attention. In this study, we analyse the spatial relationship between recreational fishing effort (estimates of recreational fishing vessel density) and the predicted habitat suitability of the main target fish species for recreational fishers in the Hauraki Gulf in northern New Zealand. A spatial prioritisation software, Zonation, was used to identify areas likely to receive fishing effort displacement due to the establishment of 14 new MPAs that exclude all recreational fishing and almost all commercial fishing. A ‘displaced effort index’ is provided for each protected area, as well as for the entire area of study, to help identify broad areas that are likely to absorb displaced recreational fishing effort. The index can help inform effectiveness of marine protected areas and identify areas that should be the focus of assessments of localised depletion of fisheries resources due to displaced effort. While the analysis described here is based in the Hauraki Gulf, the methodology can be adapted to different areas and other fisheries.