Greater biomass and value of target coral-reef fishes in two small Caribbean marine reserves

Abstract

We studied the coral-reef fish communities of Saba Manne Park (Netherlands Antilles) and Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Ambergns Caye, Belize) in the Canbbean to assess differences between them and adjacent ecologically sirmlar sites after 4 yr of protection from fishing Forty-five percent of target species commonly recorded in visual censuses in Belize (23 % of all recorded target species), and 59% at Saba (22 %) showed greater abundance slze or biomass in shallow protected sltes These differences are considered prlmanly to reflect increased survivorship with the cessation of f~shing mortahty The greatest estimated biomasses were observed in locally protected snapper (Lutlanidae) in Belize and Saba and grunt (Haemuhdae) at Saba In both protected areas the local stock of vls~ble demersal target f~shes was 1 9 to 2 0 tlmes greater in biomass and 2 2 to 3 5 times greater in commercial value than in fished sites Larger local stock of many target species is likely to support higher egg output from the protected areas while larger predator biomass will mean more intense predation at the protected sites