CONHECIMENTO ECOLÓGICO TRADICIONAL DOS PESCADORES DA FLORESTA NACIONAL DO AMAPÁ

Abstract

Traditional ecological knowledge can be defined as an interpretation of the information that the human population accumulates through the relation between the use and dependency established with the natural resources. The National Forest of Amapá (FLONA/AP), State of Amapá, Brazil is a federal conservation unit localized at the central region of the state and holds high land and varzea ecosystems which are well preserved and have great biological importance. Being a sustainable use area, there is a small local population that utilizes its natural resources for survival through traditional activities such as artisanal fishering. This study had the objective of interpret the traditional ecological knowledge of the FLONA/AP fisherman and to conduct the characterization of the fishering activity gathering the information given by the people that develop the activity. The methodological procedures included interviews, questionnaire application and direct observation; also photos were taken of the catch and the artifacts used. Citations of the fisherman were annotated, analyzed and compared to the existing scientific references. This allowed to demonstrate the level of understanding of those people of the environment as well as the resources that they use. It was identified 29 species and 6 etnofamilies grouped by the fisherman and that agree with the taxonomic classification. There was also the description of the atisanal fishering adopted in the area, showing the main characteristics and fish captured. One may conclude that the phrases used by the fisherman to describe the fish behavior are congruent to the ecology studies; besides they arerelevant to the elaboration of the fishery agreements and management plan of the conservation unit.