Recreational angler management in marine protect area : a case study of top-bottom management

This study is done in a natural park (Southwest Alentejo and Vicentina Coast Natural Park - PNSACV) a marine area with an extension of two km offshore all along its coastline (Marine Protected Area - MPA). The “recreational fishing” it is part of the tradition of the people living in these near municipalities, having inherited a taste for rock fishing and shell fishing of their ancestors. They are deprived of a moment's notice based on a law without being heard, without anyone to defend the tradition inculcated in each. In this park, since 2006, with the first law (868/2006) several fishing management measures have been implemented like, limitations and prohibitions without studies and licenses based on dissuasive law. In practice, the process was reversed. What should be awareness and public participation became a force against the will of the people. The another law (Portaria 143/2009) for de PNSACV area it`s even more restrictive, separating the principle of equality between nationals and resident people in PNSACV, compared to the law (Portaria 144/2009) for the entire national territory. These restrictions were not accepted by the population who express their discontent in Sagres, Odemira, Vila Nova de Milfontes and the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon. A working group was created and a law was changed revoked. Currently, the most relevant restrictive measures are the “false” temporal limitation to catch white seabream, because it`s only effective for rock angler; established minimum sizes and weight maximums for marine organisms like, crustaceans, bivalves, gastropods, mollusks and fish; angler fishing licenses are required. Populations and commissions where heard and the scientific community begin working with the anglers in some studies. All should have been started here