Illegal trade of the guitarfish Rhinobatos horkelii on the coasts of central and southern Brazil: genetic identification to aid conservation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Acidentes do trabalho em pescadores artesanais da região do Médio Rio Araguaia, Tocantins, Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Artisanal fisheries in urban reservoirs: a case study from Brazil (Billings Reservoir, São Paulo Metropolitan Region)

Billings Reservoir is an urban reservoir located in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. Tt supports 101 active artisanal fishermen. To describe this fishery, landings were recorded daily between February 1996 and January 1997 at Colonia (23 degrees 50' 57 S; 46 degrees 40' 02 W). In every landing, a data collector recorded catch, effort, fishing gears and fishing grounds. A total of 147 593 kg of fish were recorded in 3515 fishing trips. The exotic Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), was the main species exploited (81.4% of the annual catches). Five other species were also targeted: the characid Astyanax eigenmaniorum (Cope) (13.0% of the annual catches); the erythrinid Hoplias aff malabaricus (Block) (2.1%); the exotic cyprinid Cyprinus carpio L. (Campos & Fernandez-Yepez) (2.4%); the curimatid Cyphocharax modestus L. (1.1%); and the pimelodid Rhamdia sp. (0.1%). Two main groups of fishermen were discriminated using Principal Components Analysis; these were associated with the type of fishing gear and fishing strategies, i.e. those who exploited Nile tilapia with cast nets and beating gill nets, and those who exploited other species with set gill nets. Management and maintenance of this fishery should consider the positive top-down effects that Nile tilapia could have in controlling eutrophication and also the social benefits.

Social and financial aspects of the artisanal fisheries of Middle Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The presence or absence of motorized boats, partnerships and multispecies catches characterize the fisheries of Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fishing activity based on 109 interviews, carried out in the wet (high water: February and March) and dry (low water: July and August) seasons, with professional fishermen are described. Aiming to identify the fishery income components, a covariance model was proposed, with the income as the response variable, related to the factors: fishing ground, use of motorized or paddle boat; seasonality; presence of fishing assistant, and the following covariates: capture in weight in the week Frier to the interview, fisherman experience in yrs; and distance (km) travelled for fishing. The results indicated that the main contributions to income were the absence of an engine (because of high price of the fuel), the absence of a partner (because of low capture) and the amount of fish caught by the fishermen.

Small-scale fisheries in the middle River Tocantins, Imperatriz (MA), Brazil

The description of the small-scale fisheries in the middle River Tocantins and their dynamics, in a full year cycle, was made out using questionnaires when interviewing fishermen at Imperatriz market. The landed fish exhibited a seasonal pattern related to the hydrological cycle, fishing effort and species diversity. Curimata, Prochilodus nigricans Agassiz, is the most important commercial fish. The fishing gears used in the area are castnets, gillnets, longlines and beach seines. Thirty-six percent of fish landed were caught exclusively by beach seine which mainly targets curimata. Alterations in the physical and biological characteristics of the middle River Tocantins due to the building of the Tucurui dam (2850 km(2) total area) allowed the mapara, Hipophthalmus marginatus Valenciennes, to colonise this area. During the closed season for nets, Siluriformes are the target of the fisheries, caught exclusively by longlining.

Financial comparisons of the artisanal fisheries in Urubupungá Complex in the middle Paraná River (Brazil)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conhecimento ecológico tradicional sobre fruteiras para pesca na Comunidade de Estirão Comprido, Barão de Melgaço - Pantanal Matogrossense

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Entre tradições e modernidade: conhecimento ecológico local, conflitos de pesca e manejo pesqueiro no rio Negro, Brasil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Análise de risco aplicada ao manejo precaucionário das pescarias artesanais na região do reservatório da UHE-Tucuruí (Pará, Brasil)

As pescarias no reservatório da UHE-Tucuruí no rio Tocantins, Pará, envolvem cerca de 6.000 pescadores e movimentam cerca de R$ 4,2 milhões/ano. A atividade se concentra em três espécies principais: tucunaré Cichla monoculus (capturado com anzol), pescada Plagioscion squamosissimus (capturado com rede e/ou anzol) e mapará Hypophthalmus marginatus (capturado com rede). Com o objetivo de caracterizar os pescadores e as pescarias do reservatório, criar cenários de aumento do esforço pesqueiro e prever os momentos de conflito pela escassez de recursos, foram levantadas informações da literatura e realizadas duas campanhas de coleta de dados nos anos de 1999 e 2000, envolvendo entrevistas com líderes comunitários e pescadores. As seguintes variáveis foram consideradas: desembarque por espécie-alvo (de acordo com os registros fornecidos pelas colônias de pescadores), artes de pesca, estratégias dos pescadores, conflitos e formas de apropriação do espaço e rendimentos da atividade. Estas variáveis foram inseridas em um modelo dinâmico, simulado no software Vensim PLE para um período de 10 anos a partir de 1999. Os resultados indicam que a pesca de anzol é a estratégia mais rentável, e que possíveis momentos de conflito devido à escassez de recursos podem acontecer em curto prazo (2005). A metodologia utilizada para as simulações e análises de risco também se revelou adequada à realidade local e ao conjunto de dados disponíveis.

Fisheries and fishing effort at the Indigenous Reserves Ashaninka/Kaxinawá, river Breu, Brazil/Peru

Este artigo tem o objetivo de descrever a pesca de subsistência das populações tradicionais de uma aldeia Ashaninka e duas Kaxinawá vivendo à beira do rio Breu. Inicialmente, foram treinados monitores para preencher fichas de coleta de dados das pescarias nas aldeias durante um ciclo anual (agosto/1995 agosto/1996). A partir desses dados realizaram-se os inventários das espécies de peixes capturadas e dos ambientes pesqueiros. A análise dos dados foi efetuada por meio de estatística descritiva e exploratória. Os resultados obtidos foram os seguintes: i) os ambientes mais procurados pelos índios foram os poços; ii) as espécies mais capturadas os mandis (35%, Pimelodidae), os bodes ou cascudos (Loricariidae), com destaque para o bode praiano (25%, Hypostomus sp.), o curimatã (9%, Prochilodus sp.) e os saburus (8%, Curimatidae), entre outros; iii) constatou-se que os arreios ou apetrechos de pesca que mais capturam peixes são o tingui (veneno), a tarrafa e o arco/flecha, respectivamente; iv) durante o verão a atividade de pesca é mais intensa; v) as medidas de esforço de pesca e os fatores associados que foram estatisticamente significativos nas predições das capturas na Reserva Indígena foram: f1 = o (número de pescadores), f2 = o (número de pescadores*tempo total das pescarias) e f3 = o [(número de pescadores*tempo total das pescarias)-(o tempo de deslocamento)] e os fatores aldeias e arreios; vi) apesar da maioria das pescarias serem realizadas a pé até os pesqueiros, as capturas são maiores quando a locomoção se dá através de canoa a remo; e vii) os pescadores mais ativos nas pescarias na Reserva Indígena foram os Kaxinawá.

Analysis of the inflammatory reaction induced by the catfish (Cathorops spixii) venoms

Cathorops spixii is one of the most abundant venomous fish of the southeastern coast of the State of São Paulo, and consequently causes a great part of the accidents seen there. The accidents affect mainly fishermen, swimmers and tourists and are characterized by punctiform or wide wounds, erythema, edema, pain, sudoresis, indisposition, fever, nausea, vomiting and secondary infection. The objective of this work was to characterize the inflammatory response induced in mice by both venoms (mucus and sting) of the catfish C spixii. Our results demonstrated that both venoms induced a great number of rolling and adherent leukocytes in the post-capillary venules of cremaster muscle of mice, and an increase in the vascular permeability in peritoneal cavity. Mucus induced the recruitment of neutrophils immediately after injection followed later by macrophage infiltration. In contrast, the cellular infiltration elicited by sting venom was rapidly resolved. The peritonitis reaction provoked by venoms was characterized by cytokine (IL-6), chemokines (MCP-1 and KC) or lipid mediator (LTB4) production in the peritoneal cavity. The macrophages from 7-day mucus venom-induced exudates upon in vitro mucus venom stimulation, expressed CD1 Ic x MHC class II and release bioactive IL-12p70. on the other hand, sting venom-elicited peritoneal macrophages lost the ability to differentiate into dendritic cells, following re-stimulation in vitro with sting venom, they do not express CD11c, nor do they exhibit sufficient levels of MHC class II. In conclusion, both types of venoms (mucus or sting) promote inflammatory reaction with different profiles, and the inflammatory reaction induced by the first was characterized by antigen persistence in peritoneal cavity that allowed the activation of phagocytic cells with capacity of antigenic presentation. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Further notes on the capture of a Carcharhinus leucas in a northeastern Atlantic oceanic insular shelf, the Azores Archipelago, Portugal

In March 1993, a specimen of Carcharhinus leucas was captured by fishermen on the south coast of Terceira Island, the Azores Archipelago. Its head was recovered and its jaws were preserved. This is the first capture of this species on an oceanic insular shelf in the Atlantic. The distribution of C. leucas in this ocean is commented.

Contributions of ethnobiology to the conservation of tropical rivers and streams

1. This study aimed to link basic ethnobiological research on local ecological knowledge (LEK) to the conservation of Brazilian streams, based on two case studies: original data on LEK of fishermen about freshwater fish in the Negro River, Amazon, and previously published data about LEK of farmers on the ecological relationship between forest and streams in the Macabuzinho catchment, Atlantic Forest.2. Information was obtained from fishermen through interviews using standard questionnaires containing open-ended questions. Informants for interview were selected either following some defined criteria or applying the 'snowball' method.3. Fishermen's LEK about the diets and habitats of 14 fish species in the Negro River provided new biological information on plant species that are eaten by fish, in addition to confirming some ecological patterns from the biological literature, such as dependence of fish on forests as food sources.4. In the Atlantic Forest, a comparison between farmers' LEK and a rapid stream assessment in the farmers' properties indicated that farmers tended to overestimate the ecological integrity of their streams. Farmers recognized at least 11 forest attributes that correspond to the scientific concept of ecosystem services. Such information may be useful to promote or enhance dialogue among farmers, scientists and managers.5. These results may contribute to the devising of ecosystem management measures in the Negro River, aimed to conserve both rivers and their associated floodplain forests, involving local fishermen. In the Atlantic Forest, we proposed some initiatives, such as to allow direct economic use of their forests to conciliate conflicting perceptions of farmers about ecological benefits versus economic losses from reforestation. Despite their cultural, environmental and geographical differences, the two study cases are complementary and cost-effective and promising approaches to including LEK in the design of ecological research. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO SUBSIDIZE THE PRECAUTIONARY MANAGEMENT of THE SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES IN ITAIPU RESERVOIR, BRAZIL

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Animais aquáticos de importância médica no Brasil

The injuries caused by venomous and poisonous aquatic animals may provoke important morbidity in the victim. The cnidarians (jellyfishes, especially cubomedusas and Portuguese-Man-of-War) caused nearly 25% of 236 accidents by marine animals, while sea urchins were responsible for about 50% and catfish, stingrays and scorpionfish nearly 25%). In freshwater, stingrays and catfish cause injuries with a very similar mechanism to the poisoning and the effects of the toxins of marine species. In a series of about 200 injuries observed among freshwater fishermen, nearly 40% were caused by freshwater catfish, 5% freshwater stingrays and 55% by traumatogenic fish, such as piranhas and trairas. The author presents the aquatic animals that cause injuries to humans in Brazil, the clinical aspects of the envenoming and the first measures for the control of the severe pain observed mainly in the accidents caused by cnidarians and venomous fishes.