Traditional knowledge and artisanal fishing technology on the Xingu River in Pará, Brazil

Abstract

In artisanal fishing, the techniques used by a community reflect the characteristics of the natural environment, in particular the distribution and availability of resources, as well as local traditions and customs. However, economic development may result in the loss of these traditions. The present study documents the fishing techniques used by the communities on the Xingu River in the Brazilian state of Pará (Maribel, Altamira, Belo Monte, Vitória do Xingu, Vila Nova, Senador José Porfírio, Porto de Moz, and Gurupá). Interviews were used to investigate traditional local knowledge and the distribution of the different fishing methods within the study area. The local fishers described the use of 12 different types of net, 10 hook and line techniques, and eight kinds of spearfishing. Free diving and scuba diving are also used for the capture of ornamental fish.Keywords: fishing gear, traditional knowledge, Brazilian Amazon basin, small-scale fisheries. Etnoconhecimento e tecnologia da pesca artesanal no Rio Xingu, Pará, BrasilResumo Na pesca artesanal, as modalidades de captura refletem as condições do meio ambiente e as tradições e costumes de uma comunidade. As artes de pesca utilizadas pelos pescadores refletem então, a disponibilidade de recursos e a história cultural de uma região. Contudo, o desenvolvimento econômico pode levar a perda dessas tradições. O objetivo deste trabalho é caracterizar os apetrechos de pesca utilizados pelos pescadores do rio Xingu, assim como seus conhecimentos acerca do uso dessas artes e a distribuição das mesmas ao longo do rio. Para isso foram realizadas visitas em diversas localidades ao longo do rio Xingu (Maribel, Altamira, Belo Monte, Vitória do Xingu, Vila Nova, Senador José Porfírio, Porto de Moz e Gurupá). Através de entrevistas com os pescadores obteve-se uma descrição das artes de pesca utilizadas na região. Os pescadores do rio Xingu utilizam 12 tipos diferentes de redes, 10 métodos de pesca com linha e anzol e 8 tipos distintos de artes de fisgar. Além do mergulho livre e com compressor utilizado na pesca ornamental.Palavras-chave: apetrecho de pesca, conhecimento tradicional, bacia Amazônica Brasileira, pesca de pequena escala.

Identifying potential causes of fish declines through local ecological knowledge of fishers in the Ganga River, eastern Bihar, India

“…They said that fishing was now under the control of anti‐social elements (mafia gangs) that ran destructive fishing gears such as channel‐barricading mosquito nets, and routinely harassed and threatened fishers with violence. It is important to situate LEK in the context of this long‐standing social conflict and its politics (Butler, ; Kelkar, , ; Mesquita & Isaac‐Nahum, ). The best example of this is the problematic distinction by fishers between ‘overfishing’ and ‘destructive fishing’ that emerged from gear‐use conflicts.…”

“…Studies across the world are showing that indiscriminate fishing of immature fishes can affect fish stocks (Castello, McGrath, & Beck, ; Ngor et al, ; Vasilakopoulos, Neill, & Marshall, ). In the Xingu river, Brazil, similar issues with gillnets were commonly expressed (Mesquita & Isaac‐Nahum, ), although gillnet use itself was regular and widespread among respondent fishers. The distinction by fishers between overfishing and destructive fishing is also of interest to future studies and current discussions on selectivity and effort regulations on fish stocks, as with debates on ‘balanced harvesting’ (Kolding & van Zwieten, ; Pauly et al, ).…”

“…They said that fishing was now under the control of anti-social elements (mafia gangs) that ran destructive fishing gears such as channel-barricading mosquito nets, and routinely harassed and threatened fishers with violence. It is important to situate LEK in the context of this long-standing social conflict and its politics (Butler, 2005;Kelkar, 2014aKelkar, , 2018Mesquita & Isaac-Nahum, 2015).…”

A Arte De Tecer Tarrafas De Pesca Na Regi�o Semi�rida De Pernambuco - Brasil

“…No contexto das políticas públicas o discurso oficial que foi apresentado a partir de 2003, com a criação da SEAP/PR, esteve atrelado ao resgate das dividas sociais, culturais, econômicas e ambientais, mas o que se pode observar com o passar dos anos, de acordo com Mendonça & Valencio (2008), e, principalmente a partir de 2009, com a criação do MPA, é um distanciamento entre o discurso e a prática, com as políticas empreendidas objetivando um modelo de modernização semelhante ao anterior, que não considera o saber-fazer tradicional. Esse modelo, além de trazer prejuízos sociais e culturais, de acordo com Mesquita & Isaac-Nahum (2015), acarreta em problemas ambientais irreversíveis do ponto de vista da produtividade pesqueira (Dias-Neto, 2010) e da saúde dos ecossistemas, como podemos observar nos recentes casos de contaminação por cianotoxinas dos reservatórios de Serrinha e Jazigo, como fruto de uma gestão inadequada dos recursos hídricos da maior bacia hidrográfica do Estado de Pernambuco, a do Rio Pajeú.…”

Population and reproductive parameters of the red-tailed catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Pimelodidae: Siluriformes), from the Xingu River, Brazil

“…The giant red-tailed catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Bloch, Schneider, 1801), known as the "pirarara" in Brazil, is widely distributed in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. This species is a medium-distance migrator, typically traveling 100-1,000 km, is also one of the most important species for sport and commercial fisheries (Carolsfeld et al, 2003;Barletta et al, 2015;Mesquita, 2 e190015[2] Isaac-Nahum, 2015). The potential yield of the species in the Amazon region was estimated to be almost 900 tons per year (Barthem, Goulding, 2007).…”