In the simplest terms, you have a highly protected area (usually one of high biodiversity or home to rare species). This has the obvious effect of protecting the species in question, but as they breed and flourish, many of them will move out of the zone as adults and increase the catch for fishermen outside the area.
Having a safe area for small fish and crustaceans means that many more survive to reach commercial size.
The Marine Conservation Society are campaigning for a network of 127 protected areas around the UK coastline. They estimate that this is the minimum necessary to gain a healthy future for our seas.
To my horror, they have less than 4,000 signatories currently on their petition. (I've already signed it and written to my MP as well.)
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, please visit their web site and sign the relevant petition for your country.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth where it has