Characterization of the fishes and of subsistence fishing in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract

Fishing is one of the oldest human activities in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso in Central Brazil. In the of Bento Gomes River Basin (Pantanal of Poconé) the presence of fishermen is very common. The objective of this study is to describe the fishing activity in the basin in view of the elaboration of proposals for the sustainable use of this natural resource. Of the 256 fishermen that were registered most are fishing for their subsistence (92%) and the rest (8%) are occasional fishermen (locally called "de lufada" fishermen). "Traíra" (Hoplias gr. malabaricus) and "piranhas" (Serrasalmus marginatus, Serrasalmus spilopleura and Pygocentrus nattereri) were the species most frequently captured for human consumption. The fishing is more intensive during the ebb season and at the beginning of the drought season, when the waters begin to recede for the river channel, as the catch is facilitated by the concentration of fishes at the river margin. The fishermen and their families consume fish three to four times a week, twice a day. Fish meat is one of the only means of obtaining animal protein for dozens of poor families in the area. The number of fishermen, as well as the actual number of catches do not appear to compromise the natural fish stocks, although no specific capture criteria is obeyed by the fishing activity Key words: Pantanal of Mato Grosso, traíra, piranha, subsistence fishing. RESUMO Caracterização da pesca e do pescado de subsistência no Pantanal de Poconé (MT)A pesca é uma das mais antigas atividades desenvolvidas no Pantanal Mato-grossense. Na Bacia do Rio Bento Gomes (Pantanal de Poconé, MT) é freqüente a presença de pescadores em diferentes locais. Este estudo tem por objetivo descrever a atividade pesqueira na bacia, com vistas à elaboração de propostas de uso sustentável deste recurso natural. Foram catalogados 256 pescadores, a maioria pescadores de subsistência (92%) e pescadores ocasionais ou de lufada (8%). A traíra (Hoplias gr. malabaricus) e as piranhas (Serrasalmus marginatus, Serrasalmus spilopleura e Pygocentrus nattereri) foram as espécies mais pescadas para o consumo. A época da vazante e o início de seca é o período do ano mais procurado pelos pescadores, pois a captura é facilitada devido à concentração dos cardumes de peixe no leito do rio. O consumo destes peixes pelos pescadores e seus familiares varia de três a quatro vezes por semana, sendo duas vezes ao dia. O peixe representa um dos únicos meios de obtenção de proteína animal para dezenas de famílias carentes da região. O número de pescadores, bem como o rendimento atual obtido, parece não comprometer os estoques naturais, ainda que não seja obedecido nenhum critério específico para a captura dos peixes. Palavras

Spawning and parental care in Hoplias malabaricus (Teleostei, Characiformes, Erythrinidae) in the Southern Pantanal, Brazil

“…Previous studies showed that the total length of females of H. malabaricus at first reproduction could vary from 141.0 mm (Oliveira & Nogueira, 2000) to 230.0 mm (Barbieri, 1989), the mean diameter of mature oocytes was 1.75 mm, and the number of mature oocytes could vary from 6,446 to 14,131 (Araújo-Lima & Bittencourt, 2001). These values differ from those recorded for the species in the present study.…”

Quantifying changes in the subsistence reef fishery of indigenous communities in Torres Strait, Australia

“…In contrast to other subsistence fisheries (Condon et al, 1995;de Oliveira and de Nogueira, 2000;Craig et al, 2008), the present study found that higher levels of modernisation, i.e. the use of motorised boats and/or nets, corresponded to higher annual reef fish yields, both in absolute and per capita terms.…”

Fish associated with aquatic macrophytes in the Chacororé-Sinhá Mariana Lake system and Mutum River, Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…Various publications have been written about the ichthyofauna of the Pantanal Petrere, 1996 andSúarez, 1998;Moura, 2000;Oliveira and Nogueira, 2000;Resende, 2000;Wantzen et al, 2002;Machado, 2003), but few have focused on the relationship between fish and aquatic macrophytes.…”