Proceedings 9 th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia 23-27 October 2000 Changes in fishery resources and reef fish assemblages in a Marine Protected Area in the US Virgin Islands: the need for a no take marine reserve J. Beets 1 and C Rogers 2 1 Jacksonville University, 2800 University Blvd N., Jacksonville, Florida 32211, USA. email: jbeets@ju.edu 2 US Geological Survey, P.O. Box 710, St. John, USVI 00830, USA ABSTRACT Fishery resources have declined and reef fish assemblages have changed over the last 30-40 years in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), even within a Marine Protected Area, Virgin Islands National Park (VINP). Groupers and snappers are now far less abundant, the proportion of herbivorous fishes has increased, individuals of many fish species are smaller, and spawning aggregations have been decimated. The national park is not a refuge for reef fishes. Relative abundance, species richness, and biomass of fishes in visual samples, and the species composition and number of fishes in traps are similar inside and outside VINP. Lobsters and conchs have decreased in abundance and/or size, and conch density is no greater within VINP than outside. Although habitat degradation has undoubtedly played a role, heavy fishing pressure has greatly contributed to the observed changes. No-take marine reserves, such as the recently established national monuments in the USVI , offer hope for recovery of fish assemblages and associated habitats. Keywords Coral reefs, Fishery declines, Marine reserves, Reef fishes. Introduction In the Caribbean, natural and human stresses have caused degradation of marine ecosystems and declines in associated fishes and invertebrates (Hughes 1994, Aronson and Precht 2000). In the USVI, overfishing, major storms, and coral diseases are most responsible for declines in fishery resources, changes in reef fish assemblages, and degradation of marine ecosystems. Here we synthesize information on fishery resources and reef fish assemblages in the USVI, with focus on a Marine Protected Area, VINP on St. John. Fishery resources and associated benthic habitats within this national park are exhibiting the same trends as observed throughout the USVI. We suggest that overfishing is the primary reason for the observed declines in the fisheries and changes in fish assemblages and argue for greater protection, specifically, that fishing should be eliminated within the park. Tracking changes in reef fish assemblages and abundance of fishery resources is very challenging and requires long-term data, over appropriate temporal and spatial scales. Reef fish abundances vary notoriously, e.g. reflecting variations in recruitment. Lobsters and conchs have very patchy distributions. Furthermore, most marine organisms have planktonic larvae that settle in habitats far from their release site. Local assemblages may reflect the influence of local factors as well as other factors operating hundreds of kilometers “upstream” (Leis 1991, Jones et al. 1999, Swearer et al. 1999, Cowen et al. 2000). Our assessment of the current status of the fishery resources in the USVI, and within VINP, is based on qualitative and quantitative information from historical and recent studies, including some of the longest research projects in the Caribbean (e.g. Beets 1996, 1997, USGS unpublished data). VINP was established in 1956 with marine portions added in 1962. The park consists of 2,947 hectares (ha) of land (about 56% of the 48 km 2 island) and 2,287 ha of surrounding waters. Commercial fishing is prohibited in the park. Taking of fishes or other marine life is also prohibited except for personal use with rod and line or with traps of "conventional Virgin Islands design" and 20 ft seine nets. There is a limit of two conchs (Strombus gigas) and two lobsters (Panulirus argus) per person per day. Territorial government fisheries regulations also apply in VINP, including trap mesh size restrictions. Trunk Bay (c. 21 ha) within VINP is technically a no-take area where fishing is prohibited; however, this area is not a significant reef fish refuge because of the minimal reef habitat and extensive recreational use (as many as 1000 people per day). Characteristics of the fishery In the USVI, about 180 species of reef fishes are harvested, in addition to queen conchs (Strombus gigas) and lobsters (primarily Panulirus argus) (Caribbean Fisheries Management Council 1985). A recent report lists 180 commercial fishers from St. Croix and 182 from St. Thomas-St. John (Tobias 1997). The primary fishing gears (traps, followed by hook and line, and nets) have not changed greatly since the 1930’s (Fiedler and Jarvis 1932).