Value chain dynamics and the socioeconomic drivers of small-scale fisheries on the amazon coast: A case study in the state of Amapá, Brazil

Abstract

This study examines the characteristics of small-scale fisheries in the state of Amapá (Brazilian Amazon coast), including the production processes, the structure and operation of the value chain, and the drivers of fish trade and resource exploitation. Interviews were held with fishers, boat owners, the presidents of fishers' organizations, and processing companies officials. The interviewees were mostly men, with a mean age between 37 and 43 years old, low education and income, and an average of 20–24 years of fishing experience. Fishing is the primary source of income and food for most of the respondents. Multispecies fisheries are conducted with small boats (6–12 m in length), using gillnets and longlines. The value chain comprises fishers, middlemen, and processing and export companies. This chain supplies the domestic market with fish meat, and swim bladder is exported. The dynamics of the fishing sector reflects the interaction between local, national and international drivers. Local drivers are related to the fishers’ socioeconomic vulnerability, the lack of post-harvest infrastructure, and the distance between fishers and final consumers. A high reliance on declining fish stocks, poor fishery management, and increasing competition with outside fishers, heightens the vulnerability of local fishers. Nationally, the trade is driven by growing fish consumption, and the demand for swim bladder drives international trade. Overcoming the challenges and limitations facing the fishing sector requires multi-scale interventions; increased governmental, non-governmental, and private-sector support; and joint actions between stakeholders. Sustainable fish trade and food security require effective resource management, and co-management is recommended.