Recreational anglers and fishing guides from an estuarine protected area in southeastern Brazil: Socioeconomic characteristics and views on fisheries management

The Iguape and Cananéia Lagoon-Estuarine Complex is a biodiversity hotspot in southeastern Brazil. In recent decades, the region has become an important destination for recreational fishing. The objective of this study was to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of visiting anglers and fishing guides working in the Cananéia-Iguape-Peruíbe Environmental Protected Area and their views on fisheries management. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted between January 2009 and January 2010. We interviewed 278 anglers, who were predominantly male (93%) with a mean age of 47 years and from the state of São Paulo. The targeted species were snooks (Centropomus undecimales and Centropomus parallelus) and weakfishes (Cynoscion leiarchus and Cynoscion acoupa). Only half the anglers had the mandatory fishing license, and many of them lacked knowledge about catch quotas and minimum size requirements for specific species. The fishing guides (n = 80) were all male, with a mean age of 39 years and extensive experience. Most of the guides believe that the study area is somewhat degraded due to the removal of riparian vegetation, siltation, pollution, and especially the depletion of fish stocks. The opinions of the stakeholders (anglers and guides) converge on the high priority needs of the fishery and possible management actions regarding recreational fishing, such as improved fisheries enforcement (first in order of importance), proper training of fishing guides, zoning of fishing areas, and the definition of a maximum size limit. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Application of stable isotope analysis to differentiate shrimp extracted by industrial fishing or produced through aquaculture practices.

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values were determined in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with the objective of discriminating animals produced through aquaculture practices from those extracted from the wild. Farmed animals were collected at semi-intensive shrimp farms in Mexico and Ecuador. Fisheries-derived shrimps were caught in different fishing areas representing two estuarine systems and four open sea locations in Mexico and Ecuador. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values (13CVPDB and 15NAIR) allowed clear differentiation of wild from farmed animals. 13CVPDB and 15NAIR values in shrimps collected in the open sea were isotopically enriched (−16.99‰ and 11.57‰), indicating that these organisms belong to higher trophic levels than farmed animals. 13CVPDB and 15NAIR values of farmed animals (−19.72‰ and 7.85‰, respectively) partially overlapped with values measured in animals collected in estuaries (−18.46‰ and 5.38‰, respectively). Canonical discriminant analysis showed that when used separately and in conjunction, 13CVPDB and I5NAIR values were powerful discriminatory variables and demonstrate the viability of isotopic evaluations to distinguish wild-caught shrimps from aquaculture shrimps. Methodological improvements will define a verification tool to support shrimp traceability protocols.

Condiciones bio-oceanográficas en San José, islas Lobos de Afuera, Perú. 2010

En este estudio se muestra la variabilidad oceanográfica que se presenta en Lambayeque. Se evidenció con la generación del evento frío La Niña, después que se registrara el arribo de ondas Kelvin hacia la costa desde fines del 2009, lo que se llegó a considerar como la ocurrencia de un evento El Niño de intensidad moderada. Esta situación propició que los recursos pesqueros se ausentaran de sus áreas habituales de pesca, sumado a la presencia de oleajes anómalos y fuertes vientos que dificultaron las faenas de pesca. Durante el 2010, la Extensión Sur de la Corriente de Cromwell (ESCC) se presentó moderadamente fortalecida en marzo, evidenciada por la relativa alta concentración de oxígeno disuelto en las áreas más profundas de San José, situación inusual para la época en la zona. La proyección de la ESCC se vio intensificada en abril, pero comenzó a debilitarse en junio hasta ausentarse en noviembre, como se puede deducir de los valores de oxígeno encontrados cerca del fondo durante las prospecciones realizadas.

Isolamento e análise química parcial de exopolissacarídeos da diatomácea marinha cultivada Coscinodiscus wailesii (Coscinodiscales, Bacillariophyta)

The marine diatom Coscinodiscus wailesii has attracted ecological interest because their blooms affect fishing areas. The aim of this work was the isolation, extraction and partial chemical characterization of soluble exopolysaccharide and bound exopolysaccharide from C. wailesii. Cultures were grown in Guillards f/2 medium under controlled conditions of temperature, aeration, photoperiod and light intensity. Percentage of carbohydrate, uronic acids, sulfates groups and cellular lipids was determined. Ion exchange chromatography of exopolysaccharides produced three fractions whose partial chemical structures were disclosed using 13C NMR and methylation techniques.

Gill Nets of Kerala

The fishing industry the world over is passing through a critical situation.The landings of marine fishes seemed to have reached saturation in major fishing areas of the world.As a general rule fisheries employing fishing gear and techniques used by small scale and artisanal fishermen either from shore or from onboard small fishing craft come under small-scale fisheries.This study on gill nets of Kerala, the fishing method depended upon by maximum fishermen of the state focuses on the importance of this selective and low energy fishing method in the marine fishing sector of the state.The study opens with the conceptual framework by briefly reviewing the crisis in the marine fisheries sector. Maximum fishermen depend upon gill net, which is, an important selective and low energy fishing gear. A review of relevant literature on aspects such as material, selectivity and techno-economic efficiency together with scope and main objectives of the study form the major part of the compass of the introductory chapter.This survey provided the inputs for selection of centres. The chapter presents the basis for selection of sample centres, sample units and methodology for field and experimental study.The subject matter of the fourth chapter is a basic study on gear aterials. The weathering resistance, which is an important criterion to assess the material performance, was studied for polyamide monofilament in comparison to polyamide multifilament and polyethylene twisted monofilament.The study provides supporting evidence of oxidation and characteristic C-O stretching in polyethylene and cyclic lactam .formation and presence of OH in polyamide.The study indicates that small mesh gill netting can be encouraged as a selective fishing method in the inshore waters with restrained use of 30 and 32 mm mesh sizes. The economic efficiency was assessed using standard indices such as rate of return, internal rate of return, pay back period, fishery income, energy efficiency and factor productivity. The effect of size and cost of capital and cost of production on the economics of operation is also discussed in this chapter. It was observed that level of technology did not have direct effect on economic performance.

Population characteristics and taxonomy of lantern fishes of genus Diaphus (Family Myctophidae) off south west coast of India

Globally most of the conventional fish stocks have reached a state of optimum exploitation or even over-exploitation; efficient utilization of non-conventional resources is necessary to meet the supply-demand gap for protein supply. Mesopelagic fishes can be considered as one such promising resource for the future, if appropriate harvest and post-harvest technologies are developed. Increasing human population and increasing demand for cheaper food fishes has made myctophids a possible potential resource for future exploitation and utilization. Earlier studies indicated the abundance of Diaphus spp. in the eastern and northeastern Arabian Sea. The present study also indicates the dominance of Diaphus spp. in the deep sea trawling grounds of south west coast of India. Commercial viability of the myctophid fishing in the Indian waters has to be worked out. The present catch estimation is based on the Stratified Random Sampling Method from the landing data. As the coverage of sampling area was limited and the gear efficiency was not standardized, the data generated are not precise. A counter check for the estimates is also not possible due to the absence of comparable works in the study area. Fish biomass estimation by acoustics survey coupled with direct fishing would only confirm the accuracy of estimates. Exploratory surveys for new fishing areas to be continued, for gathering the distribution, abundance, biological and ecological data and map the potential fishing ground on a GIS platform and the data should be provided to the commercial entrepreneurs. Generally non-conventional and non-targeted resources are under low fishing pressure and exploitation rates. Low values of fishing mortality and exploitation rates indicate that removal from the stock by fishing was only nominal from the present fishing grounds. The results indicate that the stock is almost at virgin state and remains grossly underexploited. Since the extent of distribution and abundance of the stock in the ecosystem remains to be ascertained, sustainable yield could not be estimated. Also the impact of myctophids harvest, on other commercially important fishes, has to be studied.

Territorialidade e pesca: atualidades e tradições no uso dos recursos pesqueiros na comunidade litorânea da praia da Pipa Rio Grande do Norte

The need for sustainability in the exploitation of natural resources in coastal areas has been out in recent years, as well as the social and cultural sustainability of traditional communities in these regions. Coastal and estuarine wild areas are influenced directly or indirectly by a set of human activities such as artisanal fishing. Therefore, there is a demand for an integrated design of these areas and according to the landing values, a pattern of unsustainable development of national marine fishing activity. The study was conducted in the coastal community of Praia da Pipa, Tibau do Sul municipality, RN, between june 2009 and june 2010 and aimed to characterize the fishery performed, its socio-economic strategies and fishing areas, as well as to identify ichthyofauna, to assess the sustainability of the major resources and to identify cultural traits related to artisanal fisheries, their problems and prospects; linking tradition and the present fishing activity carried out in the community. For this study, a total of 67 structured interviews were collected, including qualitative and quantitative data. A total of 133 fish landings and direct observations were performed. Informants were identified according to one of the following categories: fishermen, vessel masters and members of the local population with offspring. Applications SPSS 10.0, Paint.Ink and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 were used for tabulation and analysis of results. Local fishermen are, on average, 25 years fishing, have 40 years old and the average monthly income is up to 03 minimum wages. The local fleet consists of 20 vessels, that uses different line sizes and types of networks, operating in 21 fishing grounds and showing a reduction in the vessel numbers by 66% in the last decade. We recorded 76 species of fish, captured by the local fleet and the top 5 were quantitatively analyzed serra spanish mackarel (Scomberomorus brasiliensis), little tunny (Euthynnus alleteratus), yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus), red snapper (Lutjanus analis) and common snook (Centropomus undecimalis), accounting for 46,5% of production in the period. The capture of these species was composed mostly of adults. Data analysis showed a significant decrease of the local fishing activity over the last decade due to the weakness displayed by the political-social category, the devaluation of local knowledge and the emergence of new sources of income through increased tourism. The characteristics of the fishing community suggest it to pass through significant changes as the appreciation of their cultural and traditional aspects. We identified a tendency to sustainability of main species caught, suggesting that public policies to be adopted locally comply with the current characteristics of fishing undertaken in the community and knowledge of fishermen related to the environment, allowing environmental, as well as social and cultural sustainability of the community involved.

Reproductive biology and recruitment of Xiphopenaeus kroyeri in a marine protected area in the Western Atlantic: implications for resource management

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

Small-scale marine fisheries in the municipal district of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

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)

A atividade pesqueira nas ilhas do entorno de Belém

O Estuário Amazônico é uma região com condições propícias de produtividade, tornando a área favorável a pesca. As ilhas do Combu, Ilha das Onças e Mosqueiro, alvo deste estudo, fazem parte do Estuário Amazônico e a pesca é uma atividade praticada constantemente pelos moradores dessas ilhas. Baseando-se nessas informações, o objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever e comparar as diferentes modalidades de pesca das ilhas do Combu, Ilha das Onças e Mosqueiro, identificando os atributos que mais contribuem para a formação dos sistemas de produção, para o posterior acompanhamento das pescarias nas ilhas do entorno de Belém, considerando as dimensões econômica, social, ecológica e tecnológica. Deste modo espera-se auxiliar a geração de subsídios para a formulação de políticas públicas para o setor pesqueiro. Variáveis descritivas e numéricas considerando as diferentes dimensões foram utilizadas com a finalidade de descrever os sistemas de produção pesqueira de forma que tornassem comparativos tanto os sistemas quanto as ilhas estudadas. Para a análise estatística comparativa foram utilizadas apenas as variáveis numéricas (médias e porcentagens), provenientes tanto de dados coletados em campo quanto da pesquisa em dados secundários. Análise multivariada de agrupamento e ordenação (MDS), comparando os sistemas foi aplicada visando identificar os agrupamentos e as possíveis causas da semelhança entre os sistemas de pesca por ilha. Na ilha do Combu foram identificados os sistemas de matapi, emalhe consumo, tapagem, espinhel anzol médio e espinhel anzol grande. Na ilha das Onças foram observados os sistemas de matapi, emalhe consumo, emalhe comercial, tapagem, espinhel anzol médio e espinhel anzol grande. Em Mosqueiro identificou-se a pesca de matapi, emalhe comercial, espinhel anzol médio e espinhel anzol grande. As análises dos sistemas em todas as dimensões mostraram que a ilha de Mosqueiro se diferencia das demais ilhas estudadas. Quando analisadas por dimensão separadamente o sistema matapi, tapagem e emalhe consumo das ilhas do Combu e Ilha das Onças se mostraram muito similares. Entretanto os sistemas observados em Mosqueiro se diferenciam principalmente na dimensão econômica. Com base nos resultados observados pode-se afirmar que a pesca nas ilhas do Combu e Ilha das Onças é de subsistência e a atividade principal é o extrativismo vegetal enquanto em Mosqueiro a pesca caracteriza-se principalmente como comercial. Apesar da pesca nas ilhas do Combu e Ilha das Onças servirem apenas para subsistência representam importante fonte de alimento e renda extra para os moradores. Em Mosqueiro a pesca tem importância econômica elevada, porém as áreas de pesca são exploradas também por pescadores de outros locais do Estado sem que existam iniciativas de manejo por parte dos governantes.

The trophic role of the squid Loligo plei as a keystone species in the South Brazil Bight ecosystem

The issue of whether loliginid squid can influence the average structure of marine ecosystems in a keystone role, i.e. a strong effect with relatively low biomass, has not yet been examined. Here, the diet of Loligo plei in inner shelf waters of the South Brazil Bight was examined, as a first step, based on the stomach contents of 2200 squid hand-jigged in shallow water (, 30 m) and taken as bycatch of shrimp trawlers in deeper water (30-100 m). Diet varied by size, season, and fishing zone. Stomachs were not empty in similar to 12%, with more empty during winter. The range of mantle lengths of squid caught by jigging (101-356 mm) appeared to differ from the squid trawled (30-236 mm), and the diet also differed. Food categories recorded in deeper water did not include amphipods or polychaetes, but in both fishing areas, fish were the most common prey. The fish prey identified included Trachurus lathami, small pelagic species, trichiurids, and Merluccius hubbsi. Demersal species, such as Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus, and flatfish were also present. An ecosystem network model is updated through which a mixed-trophic impact matrix and ""keystoneness"" indicators were calculated. Loligo plei represents an important link between pelagic and demersal energy pathways, with high indices of keystoneness.