Monitoring the traditional fishing effort in marine protected areas on the French Mediterranean coast

Measures taken for the management of the natural patrimony of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas are nowadays designed in such a way as to take into account both the aims of protection and the maintenance of small scale traditional fisheries. The managers thus need (i) detailed knowledge of fishing practices, (ii) monitoring over time of indicators relevant to the local fishery (resource and fishing effort) and (iii) collaboration with fishermen. A panel of methods (fishing log book, day-to-day charts of distribution of fishing gear, embarkation of scientists, landing port enquiries) have been implemented in the national park of Port-Cros (French Riviera) and in the natural reserve of Scandola (Corsica) and might be adapted for other sites according to the degree of cooperation existing between fishermen and park officers. In both cases, surveys have provided a basis for characterizing the activities of the artisanal fisheries: description of the fishing fleet, the equipment used, the fishing patterns and sites, the species targeted and for calculation of the yield per outing, per net, per piece of net, per type of mesh and per species or category of fish. Information on the space-time patterns of distribution of the fishing effort has been delivered in the form of charts (GIS - Geographical Information System) for different periods of the year.