Ethnotaxonomy of sharks from tropical waters of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Accessing folk knowledge from small-scale fishers is an affordable and reliable approach to understand the dynamic and diversity of shark species worldwide, especially of those eventually caught. In this context, ethnotaxonomy (folk identification and classification) may represent an alternative to support sharks fisheries management, especially in data-poor places. This study aimed to investigate fishing and ethnotaxonomy of the main shark species caught by small-scale fisheries from the coastal waters of the Brazilian Northeast. METHODS: Semi-structured and structured interviews were conducted with fishers targeting general aspects of fishing activities and specific topics regarding ethnotaxonomy, capture, and commercialization of sharks. For species identification, an ethnobiological systematic perspective was used to analyze the folk nomenclature and classification criteria. Non-parametric statistical tests were used to verify associations between species caught, fishing gear, and harvest period. RESULTS: Fishers mentioned 73 binomial names, 21 main folk species, and eight synonymies. Some species belonging to the same scientific genus are often named and grouped by the same folk name, with no distinction between species by fishers. Sharks are most landed as bycatch and correspond to less than 5% of the total commercial fisheries in the communities, with socioeconomic value for subsistence consumption and local commercialization. Sharks were said to be mainly caught with hand line and surface long line during the rainy season, while gillnet captures were associated to the dry season. At least three of the species most mentioned by fishers are currently classified as vulnerable and endangered worldwide. CONCLUSIONS: Even though landed sharks account for a small proportion of the fishing catches, their biological and life history features place sharks among the most vulnerable organisms globally. Such an ethnobiological approach towards shark identification may contribute to generate basic information on species caught, their frequency in the landings, and how different species belonging to the same genus can be landed and sold together. This type of information can generate subsidies to the development of conservation and management plans for these fishing resources, where knowledge is scarce.

The use of Local Ecological Knowledge as a complementary approach to understand the temporal and spatial patterns of fishery resources distribution.

BACKGROUND: Acquiring fast and accurate information on ecological patterns of fishery resources is a basic first step for their management. However, some countries may lack the technical and/or the financial means to undergo traditional scientific samplings to get such information; therefore affordable and reliable alternatives need to be sought. METHODS: We compared two different approaches to identify occurrence patterns and catch for three main fish species caught with bottom-set gillnets used by artisanal fishers from northeast Brazil: (1) scientific on-board record data of small-scale fleet (n = 72 trips), and (2) interviews with small-scale fishers on Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) (n = 32 interviews). We correlated (Pearson correlations) the months cited by fishers (LEK) as belonging to the rainy or to the dry season with observed periods of higher and lower precipitation (SK). The presence of the three main fish species at different depths was compared between LEK and SK by Spearman correlations. Spearman correlations were also used to compare the depths of greatest abundance (with the highest Capture per Unit Effort - CPUE) of these species; the CPUEs were descendly ordered. RESULTS: Both methods provided similar and complementary bathymetric patterns of species occurrence and catch. The largest catches occured in deeper areas, which also happened to be less intensively fished. The preference for fishing in shallower and less productive areas was mostly due to environmental factors, such as weaker currents and less drifting algae at such depths. CONCLUSION: Both on-board and interview methods were accurate and brought complementary information, even though fishers provided faster data when compared to scientific on-board observations. When time and funding are not limited, integrative approaches such as the one presented here are likely the best option to obtain information, otherwise fishers' LEK could be a better choice for when a compromise between speed, reliability and cost needs to be reached.

Fisheries productivity and its effects on the consumption of animal protein and food sharing of fishers' and non-fishers' families.

This study compared the consumption of animal protein and food sharing among fishers' and non-fishers' families of the northeastern Brazilian coast. The diet of these families was registered through the 24-hour-recall method during 10 consecutive days in January (good fishing season) and June (bad fishing season) 2012. Fish consumption was not different between the fishers' and non-fishers' families, but varied according to fisheries productivity to both groups. Likewise, food sharing was not different between the two groups, but food was shared more often when fisheries were productive. Local availability of fish, more than a direct dependency on fisheries, determines local patterns of animal protein consumption, but a direct dependency on fisheries exposes families to a lower-quality diet in less-productive seasons. As such, fisheries could shape and affect the livelihoods of coastal villages, including fishers' and non-fishers' families.

A qualidade sócioambiental em assentamentos rurais do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil / The socio-environmental quality of rural settlements in Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil

O processo de Reforma Agrária é oferecido como uma possível estratégia para redução da pobreza e aumento da equidade social, mas depende de políticas públicas eficientes, tornando os agricultores beneficiados auto-sustentáveis. Objetivando apresentar as principais problemáticas socioambientais de 33 assentamentos rurais do Rio Grande do Norte (nordeste brasileiro), foram avaliados aspectos sociais, econômicos e ambientais de 631 famílias desses assentamentos e de 16 relatórios PRAD (Plano de Recuperação de Áreas Degradadas) do período de 2007 a 2010. Observou-se que a emancipação de um assentamento, medida através da geração de renda, grau de escolaridade e mudanças de hábitos ambientais, não está ligada ao seu tempo de fundação, e que a sua renda pouco depende da agricultura, sendo afetada principalmente pela proximidade de centros urbanos, pelo número de aposentados na família e pela participação em programas sociais. Os dados ambientais apontam o baixo nível de escolaridade e a maior idade dos assentamentos como fatores determinantes para o aumento da degradação das Reservas Legais e Áreas de Proteção Permanentes. Esses dados sugerem que o processo de Reforma Agrária ainda é deficiente na região nordeste, não priorizando a independência social dos assentamentos e ignorando a sua temática ambiental.

The Brazilian land reform is a possible strategy to reduce poverty and increase social equality, but it depends on efficient public policies capable of making the peasants self-sustainable. With the goal of presenting the main socio-economic challenges of 33 rural settlements of former landless peasants in Rio Grande do Norte State (Northeastern Brazil), we evaluated socio, economic and environmental aspects of 631 families from these settlements and 16 "Restoration Plan for Degraded Areas" (PRAD), prepared between 2007 and 2010. The emancipation of a settlement, measured through income generation, schooling level, and changes in people's environmental habits, was not related to the age of the settlement. Also, the income of a settlement is hardly dependent on agriculture, being mostly affected by distance from urban centers, number of retired people in the household and participation in social programs. Low schooling level and aging of the settlement are determinant factors in the increase of deforestation of Legal Reserves and Areas of Permanent Protection. These data suggest than land reform is still deficient in the Brazilian northeast; it does not prioritize the socio-economic independence of the settlements and ignore their environmental situation.

Temporal changes in caiçara artisanal fishing and alternatives for management: a case study on the southeastern Brazilian coast / Mudanças temporais na pesca artesanal caiçara e alternativas para manejo: um estudo de casa na costa sudeste do Brasil

This paper describes a case study of the changes in fishing that occurred in a Brazilian coastal community after a 10 year interval (1992-2002). There was a decrease in the mean amount of fish caught daily (from 14 kg to 11.32 kg) and annually (from 4.2 t to 3.4 t) and in the richness of species caught (from 21 to 17 species); there was also a low similarity in the species composition of the fish landings (Morisita-Horn index Ch = 0.24). These changes suggested a decline in the locally exploited fish populations, which probably caused the discontinuation of commercial artisanal fishing. However, the diversity of fish caught by hook and line and purse-seine fishing was higher in the second period, whereas there was no significant difference in the diversity of fish caught using gillnets. Despite these changes, the CPUE showed no significant alteration and non-intensive fishing is still practiced by a few (6-35) people in the community. Co-management alternatives (fishing regulations, oysterfarms, ecotourism, etc.) are suggested and may be applicable to other coastal communities after appropriate adaptation for each location.

O uso de recursos por comunidades humanas tem influência direta na conservação da biodiversidade, na medida em que a forma como ele é executada pode implicar em conservação ou sobre-uso dos recursos. Este artigo descreve um estudo de caso sobre as mudanças ocorridas na pesca em uma comunidade da costa brasileira ao longo de 10 anos (1992-2002). Houve um decréscimo das quantidades médias capturadas diariamente (de 14 kg para 11.32 kg) e anualmente (de 4.2 t para 3.4 t) e também na riqueza de espécies (de 21 para 17 espécies). Além disso, a similaridade da composição de espécies presentes nos desembarques pesqueiros entre os dois períodos foi baixa. (Índice de Morisita-Horn Ch = 0.24). Estas mudanças sugerem um declínio das populações de peixes exploradas localmente, o que provavelmente causou o fim da pesca artesanal comercial. No entanto, a diversidade de espécies capturadas com caniço e com o cerco com redes foi maior no segundo período, enquanto não houve diferença significativa na diversidade de peixes capturada com redes de espera. Apesar destas mudanças, não houve alteração significativa na CPUE e a pesca não intensiva é ainda praticada por alguns membros da comunidade (6-35). Algumas medidas de co-manejo, baseadas no que já é de certa forma realizado pela comunidade (controle da pesca, cultivo de ostras, ecoturismo, etc.), são propostas e podem ser aplicadas a outras comunidades costeiras após serem apropriadamente adaptadas às características locais, objetivando a manutenção do uso continuado dos recursos, mas de forma racional.