Pesca demersal e pelágica: composição e produção pesqueira

Abstract

This study investigated the landings in the main port at the region along one year with respect to the marine resources exploited and economic aspects such as the landing value and the economic incentives to exploit the most caught species. Here by monitoring 35 landings in the central wharf in one of the main capital in the northeastern coast of Brazil, we found out that the small-scale fishery has reached markets outside northeast region and abroad by delivering the catch into three local fishing companies. Most of the catches are made up of pelagic fishes exploited by a specific fleet operating offshore and targeting tuna and tuna-like species. Pelagic resources are comprised by only six (to eight) species and are always landed into the fishing companies making these landings suitably reported (by export taxes paid and invoice) beyond being protected by international committee and quota while demersal resources, largely made up of reef species, are mostly directed to local market (70%) representing nearly 320 tons of unreported fish annually landed just in Natal harbor. Demersal species acquired by fishing companies are S. axillare, C. fulva, P. maculatus, and Acanthurus chirurgus, which supply directly USA market. Some dermesal species are traded in a basket of mixed species, and referred as one single species, inducing to the mislabeling. We envision that local marine fish, specially demersal fish, can only be protected for the future under management measures that include regulation of fish species allowed for retailers and mainly to fishing companies. By changing the pursuit of fish species by fishing companies in the ground, rules are likely to change the fishers search for species in the ocean. This study end expanded the record of the new occurrence of the species Batrachoide surinamensis and Canthidermis maculata in the region increasing the regional richness of marine fish for 461 species.