ARTIFICIAL REEFS AND FISHERIES EXPLOITATION - A REVIEW OF THE ATTRACTION VERSUS PRODUCTION DEBATE, THE INFLUENCE OF DESIGN AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR POLICY

Amidst the growing volume of published research on artificial reefs, o ne of the key questions concerns their potential for enhancing product ion over and above merely serving to attract and concentrate fish at s pecific sites. This paper reviews the 'attraction versus production' d ebate, highlighting the key role of design in determining a reefs effe ctiveness. Though some studies have apparently demonstrated that artif icial reefs are capable of acting as production enhancers, others have not, for reasons which may be associated with the design of the reef itself. The review identifies a number of lines of enquiry for future research, and argues that while the proper design of a reef is essenti al to maximise productive potential, this may be of little value in th e absence of a management strategy aimed at controlling the build-up o f harvesting pressure which some reefs may engender. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.