Investigating artisanal fishers’ support for MPAs: Evidence from the Tuscan Archipelago (Mediterranean Sea)

In order to meet the "30 by 30" target of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, efforts for establishing new marine protected areas (MPAs) in European seas will increase in the upcoming years, thus affecting an increasing number of stakeholders. However, despite widely distributed across the globe, many MPAs fail to achieve their goals due to the little weight attributed to fishers' perception as well as their scarce involvement in the different stages of MPA, from planning to management. Using the Tuscan Archipelago as a model system, we gathered artisanal fishers perceptions of MPAs and investigated potential drivers for MPA support. Information was also collected on the level of satisfaction on and involvement into current management of coastal environments, as well as fishers management proposals. Data was gathered from a sample of 27 artisanal fishers (representing 30 % of total fishers) through semi-structured interviews based on an opportunistic+snowball sampling strategy. Several fishers express positive perceptions towards the MPA concept, as long as fishers involvement is granted. Fishers open to the MPA concept are also available to change fishing gear and areas if an MPA includes their usual fishing grounds. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of MPAs in sustaining coastal biodiversity and associated harvestable stocks could be enhanced by the involvement of artisanal fishers in MPA establishment and management.