CAPTURE FISHERY IN NORTHERN TODOS OS SANTOS BAY, TROPICAL SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC, BRAZIL

Information on marine and estuarine capture fishery activity in northern Todos os Santos Bay, northeastern Brazil, based on daily data collected between September 2003 and June 2005 is presented. Small-scale artisanal fishery in this area includes the use of traditional vessels both non-motorized and motorized for locomotion, being carried out mainly by canoe or on foot, and involves many different kinds of gear, including gillnet, hook and line, seine nets, and traps. A total of 113 taxa were grouped into 77 resources, including 88 fish, 10 crustaceans, and 15 mollusks. Data on nominal catches of fish, crustaceans and mollusks are presented by month and location. A total of 345.2 tonnes of fishery resources were produced (285.4 tonnes of fish, 39.2 tonnes of fresh invertebrates, and 20.6 tonnes of processed invertebrates). Temporal variation in the fish catch was associated with the life cycle of the species or with the hydrographic conditions. The first-sale value of this catch amounted to around US$ 615,000.00, fishes representing 71.3% of it. A table of the average price of each fishery resource is presented. The results produced in this study may be considered a reference for future monitoring programs of fishery resources in the area.

Benchmarking sustainable urban mobility: The case of Curitiba, Brazil

Transportation planning is currently being confronted with a broader planning view, which is given by the concept of mobility. The Index of Sustainable Urban Mobility (I_SUM) is among the tools developed for supporting this new concept implementation. It is a tool to assess the current mobility conditions of any city, which can also be applied for policy formulation. This study focus on the application of I_SUM in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Considering that the city is known worldwide as a reference of successful urban and transportation planning, the index application must confirm it. An additional objective of the study was to evaluate the index itself, or the subjacent assessment method and reference values. A global I_SUM value of 0.747 confirmed that the city has indeed very positive characteristics regarding sustainable mobility policies. However, some deficiencies were also detected, particularly with respect to non-motorized transport modes. The application has also served to show that a few I_SUM indicators were not able to capture some of the positive aspects of the city, what may suggest the need of changes in their formulation. Finally, the index application in parts of the city suggests that the city provides fair and equitable mobility conditions to all citizens throughout the city. This is certainly a good attribute for becoming a benchmark of sustainable mobility, even if it is not yet the ideal model. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.