Quantifying eco-social relationships associated with the Octopus mimus fishery in the Punta Coles Reserve (Peru): a DPSIR-based analysis

Marine protected areas are increasingly used to reconcile biodiversity conservation with sustainable fisheries, yet long-term evaluations integrating ecological, social, economic, and governance dimensions remain scarce. This study assessed the sustainability of the artisanal Octopus mimus fishery in the Punta Coles Reserve (Peru) using the Drivers–Pressures–State–Impacts–Responses (DPSIR) framework and a 24-year time series (2000–2023). Relationships among DPSIR components were evaluated using Kendall's τ correlations, including lagged analyses, and compared between periods before (2000–2015) and after (2016–2023) management implementation. Economic drivers increased steadily over time, whereas fishing pressure and broad system-level indicators followed distinct trajectories. During the open-access period, lagged analyses revealed delayed relationships between market incentives and fishing activity, with increases in first-sale price preceding changes in vessel numbers by one to two years, while ecological and social responses unfolded across varying timeframes. During the managed period, fishing effort declined, exploitation rates remained below FMSY, and the highest fishers' incomes were achieved despite fewer fishing days, indicating improved economic performance without increasing extraction intensity. Environmental variables and benthic diversity indices showed limited direct associations with fishing pressure. These findings indicate that fishery performance emerged from complex interactions among governance processes, market dynamics, environmental variability, and fisher adaptation. The study highlights the value of integrating indicator-based DPSIR components to support adaptive fisheries management and provides insights into how marine protected areas can contribute to small-scale fisheries sustainability through coordinated governance and learning.