Biologists and ecologists warn that lifting the sports-fishing ban of the Punta de La Mona in La Herradura would be premature.

This was in response to the Junta de Andalucía announcing last Monday that it was considering the possibility of reviewing the adopted measures, “once improvements in the conservation status of protected habitats and species are proven.”

Biologists from the University of Granada, who participated in the monitoring of the seabed area, providing data on the biological recovery of the zone, consider that after only one year of effective protection the area has begun to recover, but in a very gradual manner; i.e., not enough to lift the ban.

These scientists point out that for marine biodiversity to recover after decades of over-exploitation that nearly caused the disappearance of large fish in the area, many years are required.

In fact, according to several researchers, the total recovery of predatory fish takes about 30 to 40 years from the beginning of protection measures, although the effects begin to be noticed after one to three years.

These marine biologists, to make their point, refer to the images collected at the Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas Marine Reserve in Cartagena (Murcia), where recreational fishing has been prohibited since its creation in 1995: the variety and abundance of fish is striking, including large groupers that can weigh up to 30 kilos in their adult stage.

In other words, don’t give in to pressure, if you really want this to work.

(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Protected Marine Area Working, Lift Fishing Ban, Marine Biologists Object

news, andalucia, granada, costa tropical, herradura, protected marine area working, lift fishing ban, marine biologists object