Lobster-specific MPA offers little refuge for fish: Long-term closure does not compensate for insufficient size

Small marine protected areas (MPAs) have proven effective at increasing the size and abundance of specific species, not least of which is the European lobster Homarus gammarus . However, the benefits of closure for the marine community as a whole are not as well established and vary considerably by location. Kåvra, a partially protected area (PPA) on the Swedish west coast, closed to nearly all forms of fishing for over three decades has shown a strong increase in size and abundance of lobster since the areas establishment. In this study we show continuously increasing positive effects on the lobster population with higher catch per unit effort, and an approximately eight-times higher total reproductive potential within the PPA compared to fished reference areas. However, no effects of closure were seen on the fish assemblage. Single small-scale MPAs can be an effective conservation method for specific species like European lobster, thus contributing to genetic diversity, and the reproductive capacity of intensively fished species. However, without careful consideration of the intended management outcome, single small MPAs alone are often not a sufficient strategy for increasing fish abundances to protect depleted stocks.