Understanding changes to fish stock abundance and associated conflicts: Perceptions of small-scale fishers from the Amazon coast of Brazil

Abstract

The perceptions and knowledge of fishers are very important for fisheries management, especially in data-poor regions such as the Amazon coast of Brazil. Here, the perceptions of fishers were used to analyze the main conflicts faced by small-scale fisheries and to identify the status of fishery resources in the state of Amapá (Brazil). Data from interviews with 359 fishers were analyzed. Conflicts involve diverse actors with different and potentially competing interests and accountabilities, including small-scale and large-scale fishers, intermediaries, and government agents. The main conflict was related to access to fishery resources, including issues with the prohibition of fishing in No-Take Zones and competition with fishing fleets from other regions (outsiders). The lack of control over the access of users has culminated in increasing fishing effort. The invasion of traditional fishing territories was a central argument against the outsiders; however, these conflicts are also strongly related to the exhaustion of fishery resources, with about 75% of respondents perceiving a decrease in fish abundance. This scenario reveals a governance crisis and the weak performance and inability of the government to carry out effective enforcement, monitoring, and surveillance. The presence of people heavily reliant on natural resources in a region with very few alternative sources for livelihoods indicates that sustainable fisheries management requires wider cooperation between the government and all stakeholders, with co-management being required.