Abstract
Small-scale fisheries is an important factor in the generation of income, jobs and food security. Understanding the characteristics of small-scale fisheries, and the volume of resources and food that they generate can help society recognize their value, lead to the establishment of public policies to improve working conditions and adapt the management of exploited resources for long-term conservation. The objective of this study was to estimate income, production capacity and importance of small-scale fisheries for fisher families of the municipality of Caraguatatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Fishers were interviewed from May 2012 to June 2013 and categorized according to vessel size and the number of people on the boat and helpers. Monthly income ranged from US$ 566.78 to US$ 1,466.87. The importance of fishing to family income ranged from 50.60% (employee) to 78.25% (entrepreneur). Fishers usually dedicate themselves to this activity for 8.47 to 13.22 hours daily, with daily fish production volume ranging from 42.72 to 122.14 kg/day. Small-scale fisheries involve, either directly or indirectly, about 1,170 people in the municipality and provide a network of social protection due to their local and regional importance.
Highlights
The small-scale fisheries accounts for more than 50% of all marine and freshwater fisheries in the world, and practically all of their production is for human consumption (FAO 2010)
The northeast region of Brazil has the majority of professional fishers (43.70% of the total for the country), followed by the north region (38.80%), while the state of São Paulo in the southeast region accounts for has 25,288 fishers (2.96%)
Historical cost data are not available for fishers from Caraguatatuba, the findings of this study show that it is possible to understand that fuel costs variation has a direct impact on the net income of fishers because it is the second largest cost item of the activity
Summary
The small-scale fisheries accounts for more than 50% of all marine and freshwater fisheries in the world, and practically all of their production is for human consumption (FAO 2010) It provides about 20% of the animal protein need of about 3.2 billion people (FAO 2018) and involves 59.2 million people worldwide (FAO 2018). The northeast region of Brazil has the majority of professional fishers (43.70% of the total for the country), followed by the north region (38.80%), while the state of São Paulo in the southeast region accounts for has 25,288 fishers (2.96%). According to Fishermens Association (Zone 8) (unpublished data), whose coverage area corresponds to 14 coastal and inland municipalities, the municipality of Caraguatatuba on the north coast of the state of São Paulo currently has 183 fishers, among which 128 are originally from Caraguatatuba itself, while in the 1980’s and 1990’s there were 505 fishers registered (personal observation). The number of fishers had been increasing in Fisherman’s Association until its re-registration when the number started decreasing as the fishers changed their careers or there was no proof of their occupation, or even due to death cause
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