The commercial fishing fleet using the middle stretch of the Madeira river, Brazil

Renato Soares Cardoso,Carlos Edwar Carvalho Freitas

doi:10.4025/actascibiolsci.v34i3.8119

Renato Soares Cardoso, Carlos Edwar Carvalho Freitas

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4025/actascibiolsci.v34i3.8119

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Abstract

Fishery resources in the Amazon region are exploited by both industrial and artisanal fishing fleets, that differ in their use of fishing gear and fishing grounds. Data on the physical characteristics of the vessels belonging to the fishing fleets using the Solimoes/Amazonas river and estuaries are limited. This article presents an analysis of some physical characteristics of the commercial fishery fleet using the middle stretch of the Madeira river. Data were quantitative collected using interviews of the owners and/or skippers of fishery vessels between January 2003 and May 2004. The boats used for fishing in the region varied in size from 8 to 14 meters and had an average storage capacity ranging from 4.5 to 6.1 tons. Canoes were also used for fishing and ranged in length from 5 to 9 meters, with an average storage capacity of 0.2 tons. The results of this study demonstrate that boats in the Madeira river fleet had similar characteristics to the fishery fleet of the Solimoes/Amazonas river with respect to length, use of gear, and fish storage.

Highlights

Fishing is an important socioeconomic activity for the inhabitants of urban and rural areas within the Amazon Basin, acting as either the main or substantial supplementary source of income for many families
The industrial fishing fleet is composed of boats with steel hulls working in the estuary of the Amazonas river, with fishing focused on the exploitation of catfishes, mainly piramutaba Brachyplatystoma vaillantii) and dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) (BATISTA et al, 2004)
In May 2004 the small-scale fishing fleet in the Middle Madeira river region was composed of 46 boats: 29 were boats from Humaitá, 15 boats were from Manicoré and 2 boats were from Novo Aripuanã

Summary

Introduction

Fishing is an important socioeconomic activity for the inhabitants of urban and rural areas within the Amazon Basin, acting as either the main or substantial supplementary source of income for many families. Fishing resources are exploited by two fleet types classified as industrial or small-scale. These two types of fishing fleets act in distinct areas and exploit different fish species. The fishing gear employed by each type of fleet has been shown to be quite different (BATISTA et al, 2004). The industrial fishing fleet is composed of boats with steel hulls working in the estuary of the Amazonas river, with fishing focused on the exploitation of catfishes, mainly piramutaba Brachyplatystoma vaillantii) and dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) (BATISTA et al, 2004).

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