Marine protected areas and artisanal fisheries in Brazil

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are being promoted around the world as an effective means of protecting marine and coastal resources and biodiversity. However, concerns have been raised about their impact on the livelihoods, culture and survival of small-scale and traditional fishing and coastal communities. Yet, as this study from Brazil shows, it is possible to use MPAs as a tool for livelihood-sensitive conservation. Based on detailed studies of three sites–the Peixe Lagoon National Park in Rio Grande do Sul, and the marine extractive reserves (MERs) of Mandira, São Paulo, and Corumbau, Bahia – the study shows how communities in Brazil have been able to use protected areas to safeguard their livelihoods against development and industrialization projects, like shrimp farms and tourist resorts. (68 pp.)

20th annual meeting of the WEFTA Working Group on Analytical Methods in Fish and Fishery Products and 3rd annual meeting of the WEFTA Working Group on Microbiology. A retrospect on 20 years

After 20 annual meetings it is worth to have a look back and to see how it has started. There has been very little collaboration on research projects between member institutes under the auspices of WEFTA, co-operation in more neutral areas of common interest was developed at an early stage. The area which has proved very fruitful is methodology. It was agreed that probably the best way to make progress was to arrange meetings at each laboratory in turn where experienced, practising scientists could describe in detail how they carried out analyses. In this way, difficulties could be demonstrated or uncovered, and the accuracy, precision, efficiency and cost of the methods used in different laboratories could be compared.

The Mwanza Stakeholders' Workshop, February 1st - 3rd March, 2001

This book section aims to give an overview of the Stakeholders' Workshop taken at Mwanza (Tanzania) to evaluate the role and potentials of local stakeholders, in relation to the co-management of Lake Victoria's fisheries within the frame of the LVFRP.

Report of the PRA carried out at Mwasonge Beach, Tanzania, October 23rd - November 3rd, 2000

This paper comprises part of the so-called "3-beaches Survey" of the LVFRP. In Tanzania, this study has developed to examine two landing sites (Mwasonge and Ihale), and to chart the progress of the newly established Beach Management Units (BMU) at each beach, comparing one BMU against the other. The over-arching objective of this survey was to develop an understanding of the context in which Mwasonge's fishery exists. The study does so by examining the community's history, culture and beliefs, various other socio-cultural factors, their resources, society and economy, wealth and the community's perceptions of wealth. Importantly, the survey examines the community's institutions and its perceptions of fishing rules and changes within the fishery. All of these facets of community life are examined with the use of participatory Rural Appraisal tools, and the images that the study generated are reproduced herein.

A field guide for Agency staff operating the SIMRAD EY500 portable scientific echosounder. 2nd draft 3rd August 1999

This manual has been produced by members of the national acoustics group (NAG) and represents the first in a series of outputs designed to promote co-ordination and consistency in Agency hydroacoustic surveys. It is designed as a field guide for Agency staff operating the SIMRAD EY500 portable scientific echosounder. It should be simplistic enough for the newcomer to EY500 to be able to set up and run a mobile hydroacoustic survey with some knowledge of the supporting theory. It should act as guidance for standardisation of survey procedures providing a concise list of settings and recommendations that can be used as a quick reference guide in the field. This manual condenses 5 years of practical experience of surveying fish populations using Simrad hardware and software for surveying large rivers and still waters throughout England and Wales. This document should be used as a companion to the manufacturers instruction manual and not act as a substitute for it.

Parameter estimates for fishes of the upper Paraná river floodplain and Itaipu reservoir (Brazil)

Estimates of the growth (K), natural mortality (M), consumption/biomass (Q/B) rate and trophic level (TL) for 35 species in the upper Paraná river floodplain and the Itaipu reservoir (interconnected ecosystems) are presented. A compilation of these biological statistics is made for comparison purposes and some general trends are briefly discussed.

Length-weight relationship of fishes caught in the Itaipu Reservoir, Parana, Brazil

Parameters and related statistics of the length-weight relationship of the form W=aL super(b) are presented for 72 species of fish caught in the area of the Itaipu Reservoir in Parana, Brazil. The b values varied between 2.34 and 3.35, with the mean b=2.986 (s.d.=0.230) not significantly different from 3.0 (df=7, p=0.05).

Participatory management of a reservoir fishery in northeastern Brazil

Consensus, compromise and cooperation. That was how more than 100 fishers reached agreement on how they would manage their own fishery in a small reservoir in northeastern Brazil. The long hard road that led to the agreement, the final congress in which fishers made minor history and the lessons that others may draw from the experience are described in this article. The fishers agreed on a nonfishing period of protected areas and a seasonal ban on certain nets in the face of a government department that told them the measures were non-building and essentially illegal.

Population parameters of 'corvina' (Plagioscion squamosissimus) in the Barra Bonita Reservoir, Brazil

Estimates for the growth parameters (L sub( infinity ) and K) mortality coefficients (Z,M and F) and exploitation rate (E) for the sciaenid Plagioscion squamosissimus are presented. The following results were obtained: 1) for male: L sub( arrow right )=44.2 cm, K=0.30 yr super(1), Z=0.82 yr super(1), M=0.66 yr super(1), F=0.16 yr super(1), and E=0.20; and 2) for females: L sub( arrow right )=68.4, K=0.22 yr super(1), Z=0.91 yr super(1), M=0.47 yr super(1), F=0.44 yr super(1) and E=0.49. Females are more heavily fished than males. Artisanal fishing carried out with gillnets, is mainly directed toward the young section of the population and individuals reproducing for the first time.

A list of commercial fish species from Santarem, state of Para, Brazil

A list, comprising 129 species in 23 families, is presented of the fish commonly caught in 1992/93 in the commercial fisheries around Santarem, Para State, Brazil. The most important families were the Pimelodidae (22 spp.), Cichildae (20) and Serrasalmidae (15), and six species contribute over 50% of the catch in weight.

Length-weight relationship of marine fishes from southern Brazil

The relationship between length (L) and weight (W) was estimated for 80 species belonging to 50 families of marine fishes from the shelf and upper slope of southern Brazil (lat. 28°S - 34°S). Sample sizes (n) for different species ranged from 11 to 14 741 specimens collected from commercial landings and research surveys. The fit of the equations (W=aLb) with a and b parameters estimated from regular and functional regression (of log-transformed weight and length data) as well as from a non-linear iterative process using the quasi-Newton algorithm were compared. The non-linear method gave the most accurate estimates in terms of residual sum of squares. Differences were less than 2.3% for n>500 compared with predictive regressions and 1.5% compared with functional regressions. No difference was observed between both predictive and functional regressions. Determination coefficients (r2) increased with sample size, and the highest r2 were obtained for 50

A traditional floodplain fishery of the lower Amazon River, Brazil

This paper describes fishing activities of households in four communities located in a floodplain lake system of the lower Amazon river. An average of 42 households were interviewed about their fishing activity on a monthly basis. The fishery is a typical multi-gear, multi-specific artisanal fishery. Approximately ten types of fishing gear are utilized, of which the three main types of gillnets account for 51% of the total catch. The catch per trip averaged 15 kg, for an annual total of 2,295 kg per household. Some 40 species or groups of species are caught, although four species account for 50% of the total. There is a strong seasonal pattern to the fishery, with catch per trip and catch per unit effort (CPUE) highest in the low water season (September-November). While there are marked differences between subsistence and commercially oriented fishing strategies, these differences are more in degree than in type, since fishers use the same types of gear and most fishers regularly sell part of their catch.

Length-weight relationship of marine fish species off Sao Sebastiao system, Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil

The parameters a and b of the length-weight relationship of the form W = a . L super(b) were estimated for 57 fish species sampled in Sao Sebastiao Channel and shelf system in 1997, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The b values ranged from 2.746 to 3.617. The Student's t-test revealed that mot (44) species had b values significantly different from 3. A normal distribution of the calculated LWR exponents (b) was obtained.