FISHERS´ LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE BRAZILIAN SARDINE (SARDINELLA BRASILIENSIS, STEINDACHNER, 1879) IN

RESEX-MAR ARRAIAL DO CABO, RJ, BRAZIL

Heitor O. Braga, Miguel A. Pardal, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Henrique M.F. Oliveira, Rayza C. M. Cruz

Porto 2016

• Important tool and a new source of information

• Provide data to improve the management of artisanal fisheries when marine biological data is scarce (Silvano et al., 2006)

The local ecological knowledge (LEK)

OBJECTIVE

- Describes the fishing equipment used by some of the artisanal fishermen

- Evaluated the LEK of artisanal fishermen about the Brazilian sardine in the Resex-MAR of Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil

• Praia dos Anjos beach, Praia Grande beach and Prainha beach

Study site

METHODS

ProceduresMETHODS

• March 2016 to May 2016

• Random sampling

• Free and Informed consent (TCLE)

• Authorization for scientific activity

- SISBIO/ICMBio Brazil

• Semi-structured interviews (Huntington, 2000)

ProceduresMETHODS

- Local ecological knowledge: 16 Questions

- Fishermens´ Profile: 6 Questions

• Script structure:

species identification, habitat, migration patterns, feeding areas, breeding and spawning areas, spatial and temporal distribution, projective test (Silvano et al., 2006)

The index of knowledge (Braga and Schiavetti, 2013)

DATA ANALYSES

Quantify the LEK of fishermen

Data were converted using a three-point Likert scale (Likert, 1932)

Knowledge: 3 classes

The Cronbach´s alpha coefficient (Cronbach and Shavelson, 2004)

• Correct answers = 1, Partial answers = 0.5, Wrong answers = 0

• 1: below average (0-0.33), 2: in the average (0.34-0.66) or 3: higher than the average (0.67-1)

Profile of fishermen

RESULTS

• 32 fishermen interviews

• 49.5 years (σ= 14.3)

• Fishing activity : 26.9 years (σ = 12.4); years, and they were all male

• 90% of fishermen had low level of education (less than 4 years)

• Most of the fishermen are active (n=27)

• Praia dos Anjos Beach (n=18), Praia Grande Beach Beach (n=8) and Prainha Beach (n=6)

RESULTS

• 2 fishermen use the boat called "caíco“: 3 people

• 6 use the "canoa“: 6-8 people

Four types of boats: trawlers, “boca aberta”, “canoa” and “caíco”

RESULTS

The fishing time at sea varied with the type of boat used (trawlers = 4h-10 days; boca aberta = 12-24h; canoa: 4-12h; caíco: 5-7h)

• 8 use the "boca aberta”: 3-4 people

• 14 use "traineiras" (trawlers): 8-12 people

1 fisherman does not use boat for fishing and another fisherman uses two types of boats (trawlers and boca aberta)

RESULTS

None of the fishermen obtained the maximum or minimum score

The index of LEK about Brazilian sardine:

• 0.43 to 0.71 with an average of 0.57 (σ= 0.08)

There was the fishermen scored less than 0,43 in the range (0.34-0.66)

84.4% of the fishermen had a score in the range of (0.34-0.66)

16.6% had a score within the range (0.67-1)

RESULTS

The index of knowledge was not associated:

• Time of experience in fishing (r = -0.03, SD = 30, p = 0.85)

• Age of the fishermen (r = -0.12, DF: 30, p = 0.50)

• Time at the sea fishing (r = 0.15, S = 4632.26, p = 0.41)

The Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.7 Acceptable (George and Mallery, 2010)

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The fishers´ LEK about Brazilian sardines was rated as average

Age of the fishermen, time of fishing experience and fishing time at the sea may not necessarily increase your knowledge about the ecology and biology of sardines

The knowledge they accumulate is no formal knowledge of the biology and ecology of sardines

Probably fishermen accumulate knowledge only in relation to the fishing gear used in order to increase the fishing effort

HEITOR BRAGAHEITOROB@GMAIL.COM