Study United States Case – Dry Tortuga

In 2001, the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, a 518 km2 marine reserve located within Dry Tortugas National Park, was decreed. Establishing this reserve involved the collaboration and coordination of 25 institutions, which made it a long but solid process. Studies carried out eight years after the decree reveal an increase from 36% to 64% in the presence of commercial-sized pollock, that is, 40% more than what is found in areas of Dry Tortugas National Park that do not have absolute protection, and 70% more than what is located in the fishing zones. It is common to see fishers capturing along the border of the ecological reserve, clear evidence of the spillover effect.