Sustainability indicators for the integrated assessment of coastal small-scale fisheries in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

A multidisciplinary assessment of the sustainability status of 11 coastal small-scale fishery systems in the Brazilian Amazon was performed using the Rapfish method with 31 indicators representing six evaluation fields (ecological, economic, ethical, institutional, social, and technological). The method employs a constrained multidimensional scaling ordination technique; uncertainty is expressed through Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity by leverage analysis. Results showed that most fishery systems were ecologically, economically, and socially ‘less satisfactory’ and institutionally and ethically ‘not sustainable’. Fishers have low levels of education and are highly reliant on fishing. They face low income, scarcity of alternative livelihoods, isolation from markets, weak political representation, and lack of regulatory measures and decision-making power. Fisheries target fishes with long life cycles and moderate to high vulnerability. Declining catches, increasing fishing effort and catching power, and competition with other fleets threatens the sustainability of fisheries. Recommendations include moving towards participatory management and governance, supporting the building of cohesive social organizations, and strengthening of human rights. New research and monitoring data and investments in capacity-building in research institutes and management agencies are required. The Rapfish method was employed with revised and new attributes, and the results demonstrate its applicability in data-poor scenarios in developing countries.