Small-scale fisheries catch more threatened elasmobranchs inside partially protected areas than in unprotected areas

Elasmobranchs are heavily impacted by fishing. Catch statistics are grossly underestimated due to missing data from various fishery sectors such as small-scale fisheries. Marine Protected Areas are proposed as a tool to protect elasmobranchs and counter their ongoing depletion. We assess elasmobranchs caught in 1,256 fishing operations with fixed nets carried out in partially protected areas within Marine Protected Areas and unprotected areas beyond Marine Protected Areas borders at 11 locations in 6 Mediterranean countries. Twenty-four elasmobranch species were recorded, more than one-third belonging to the IUCN threatened categories (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered). Catches per unit of effort of threatened and data deficient species were higher (with more immature individuals being caught) in partially protected areas than in unprotected areas. Our study suggests that despite partially protected areas having the potential to deliver ecological benefits for threatened elasmobranchs, poor small-scale fisheries management inside Marine Protected Areas could hinder them from achieving this important conservation objective.