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Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) and spatial property rights (TURFs) are two seemingly
contradictory approaches advocated as solutions to common property failures in
fisheries. MPAs limit harvest to certain areas, but may enhance profits outside via
spillover. TURFs incentivize local stewardship but may be plagued by spatial externalities
when the TURF size is insufficient to capture all dispersal. Within a numerical
model parameterized to a California marine species, we explore the economic and
ecological effects of imposing MPAs on a TURF-regulated fishery. Whether MPAs
can enhance or diminish profits (or fish abundance) hinges critically on the level of
coordination already occurring between TURF owners. If coordination is complete,
private MPAs may already emerge in some TURFs; implementing additional MPAs
reduces profits. However, to the extent that coordination is incomplete, strategically
sited MPAs may be an effective complement to spatial property rights-based fisheries,
increasing both fishery profits and abundance.