Spearfishing in the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean): affected species and yield

[eng] In this study, we quantify the pressure of spearfishing on fish communities in rocky coastal habitats of the Balearic islands (western Mediterranean). The study was carried out in four marine protected areas. Spearfishing affected at least 35 species of fishes and cephalopods, among which the most abundant were Diplodus sargus, Octopus vulgaris, Mullus spp. and Sciaena umbra, with an intrinsic vulnerability index of 65.43, a value considered to be between high and very high. A decreasing trend over time for the mean of the capture per unit effort (CPUE) (kg/spear fisherman·h) was shown, but an increasing trend over time in the mean size of the more representative species (D. sargus, S. umbra, Epinephelus marginatus, Scorpaena scrofa and Labrus spp.) was also observed. The results support the assumption that spearfishing may lead to changes in the trophic structure of rocky fish communities in the Mediterranean coasts because it is especially efficient with respect to high trophic level species that have a long life, slow growth and low reproductive potential.