Fisheries disrupted: Assessing the spatial and socioeconomic impacts of the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on artisanal fisheries in La Palma (Canary Islands)
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JESÚS M. FALCÓN [1] ; LAURA MARTÍN-GARCÍA [1] ; BERTÍN GARCÍA-MAÑÉ [1] ; NOEMI DIONIS-INSENSÉ [1] ; SEBASTIÁN JIMÉNEZ-NAVARRO [1] ; MARCOS GONZÁLEZ-PORTO [1] ; PAULA CRUZ-DELGADO [1] ; ALBA JURADO-RUZAFA [1] ; JOSÉ CARLOS MENDOZA [1] ; ANTONIO PUNZÓN [1] ; PABLO MARTÍN-SOSA [1]
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[1] Instituto Español de Oceanografía
Instituto Español de Oceanografía
Madrid, España
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- Localización: Cosmológica, ISSN 2792-7423, Nº. Extra 1 (Conferencia Internacional: Erupción del Tajogaite (Los Llanos de Aridane, noviembre de 2025)), 2025, págs. 481-482
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
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Resumen
The 2021 eruption of the Tajogaite volcano on La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) triggered major transformations in the coastal marine environment, with significant repercussions for traditional artisanal fisheries. Beyond the physical destruction of benthic habitats by lava flows, fishers have faced regulatory restrictions that further limit access to key fishing grounds. These measures include an initial blanket fishing ban across the affected area, followed by the establishment of progressively smaller exclusion zones around the newly formed lava deltas, effectively reducing the operational marine area for the local artisanal fleet. This study quantifies the spatial and socioeconomic consequences of these combined impacts. Drawing on benthic community maps (Martín-García et al., 2013) and spatial data on fishing effort —collected through interviews with the island’s two fishing cooperatives and supplemented with GPS records— we estimate the total loss of accessible fishing area, which varies depending on gear type. Where possible, these losses are broken down by benthic habitat or community. In addition, official catch statistics and average market prices are used to analyze changes in landings before and after the eruption, providing a measure of the economic impact on the local fisheries sector. Our findings highlight the urgency of adaptive fisheries management and the need for targeted socio-economic support measures to ensure the long-term resilience of affected coastal communities.
