Fishers’ ecological knowledge to support conservation of reef fish (groupers) in the tropical Atlantic

Abstract

Studies on local ecological knowledge (LEK) of small-scale fishers can provide new information on fishing dynamics, biology, ecology and conservation status of exploited fish. The groupers (Epinephelidae family) include reef fish of high commercial value, which have been threatened by overfishing, due to their large body size and slow growth. This study aimed to record and to analyze fishers' LEK on the biology, ecology, perceptions on management rules and temporal changes on abundance and size of five grouper species (Mycteroperca bonaci, Epinephelus adscensionis, E. itajara, E. morio and Cephalopholis fulva) in the northeastern Brazilian coast. Another goal was to compare LEK with available scientific data on these grouper species. A total of 64 fishers were interviewed in three fishing communities, about biology and conservation status (size and abundance trends) of the studied groupers. Overall, there was a high agreement between LEK and scientific data on fish diet and migration of the studied fishes, but low agreement and less knowledge by fishers about fish reproduction. According to fishers' LEK, all the studied species showed a decline on abundance, besides declines in size (length or biomass), when comparing fisheries nowadays and when each fisher started fishing (past situation). The threatened fish E. itajara showed the largest decreases in size over time, according to fishers' LEK. Fishers mentioned that they know and agree with management rules that prohibit fishing of certain aquatic species, especially E. itajara. The information from fishers’ LEK provided useful and new data for some of the studied reef fishes in the highly diverse, but relatively poorly known northeastern Brazilian coast. These results from LEK can thus contribute to fill current knowledge gaps in the scientific literature, to suggest new hypotheses to be investigated and to improve conservation and management of this commercially important and threatened group of reef fishes.