Conserving our aquatic habitats has been a top priority for decades. Since the 1960s, the state's Division of Aquatic Resources has overseen marine protected areas, sometimes referred to as MPAs.
These areas have certain restrictions on who can visit and fish. You've likely visited a few here in Hawaiʻi: Hanauma Bay and the Old Kona Airport are both examples of marine protected areas.
New research shows these restrictions are paying off in the long run.
Scientists from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology found that healthier reefs in those protected areas attracted bigger fish. Near Hawaiʻi's marine reserves, anglers tended to catch a variety of larger reef fishes, like ulua and ʻōʻio.
The Conversation spoke to two of the scientists, Elizabeth Madin and Simone Franceschini, about the study published in the journal Science Advances.
Madin said that the study provides clear evidence over a global scale, including in Hawaiʻi, that recreational fishers benefit from the establishment of marine protected areas, particularly in the long term.
"As those populations within the marine reserve grow, the adults and even the larvae, their babies, spill out into nearby areas. And so it kind of allows us to have a constant source, like a fountain of fish coming out of this area," she told HPR. "In my mind, it's a win-win for nature and for people."
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 29, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
