Characterization and comparison of Brazilian and foreign leased pelagic longline fleets in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean between 2003 and 2014. How different are these fisheries?

Abstract

The pelagic zone of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean is an important area for longline fisheries. Brazilian waters are strategic regions for the performance of this modality in International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas - ICCAT. In order to reach international quotas government strengthened its rent policy of foreign vessels aiming to promote technology transfer to the national fleet. Knowledge of vessel characteristics, technology used in equipment and strategies used by skippers are important for the management of this activity. The present study characterized vessels from national and foreign fleets operating out of the port of Itajaí, in the state of Santa Catarina (SC), between 2003 and 2014. Results indicate that these fleets are different in relation to size of vessels, engine power, cargo hold capacity, length of the main and branchlines, and steel wire length. Despite these differences, strategies adopted are critical to achieve better yields per trip. For the national fleet, the skills acquired to the use of equipments, in understanding the behavior of the target species, and change of fishing strategies often compensate for the lack of technology.