Traditional knowledge and socioeconomic aspects of small-scale bivalve fishing on the Amazon coast: A case study of Iphigenia brasiliensis on the Island of Maranhão

Abstract

The bivalve mollusk Iphigenia brasiliensis, locally known as tarioba, is an important fishing resource exploited along the coast of Maranhão. Despite its socioeconomic relevance to numerous shellfish communities on the Amazon coast, little information is available on this species. This study aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic profiles and traditional local knowledge of I. brasiliensis fishermen working on Maranhão Island. For this purpose, 106 guided interviews were conducted with workers selected using the snowball method in the four municipalities of the region: São Luís, Raposa, Paço do Lumiar, and São José de Ribamar. The results showed that shellfish gatherers are predominantly young men with reasonable education and low income who start practicing the activity early, are influenced by family and friends, and have traditional knowledge verticalized between generations. In the region, three methods of capturing mollusks were identified: diving, using hands and feet, and with the support of a stick, with subsistence being the main demand for the activity. Dozens of mollusks are marketed in natura, with prices varying between municipalities, and processing is conducted only by the final consumer.