<b>Traditional knowledge and variations in capture techniques used for blue land crab (<i>Cardisoma guanhumi</i>, L. 1825) along the coast of Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

The Mamanguape estuary, located in the Paraíba State (Brazil), hosts many traditional fishing communities and Amerindian villages whose use of the regional natural resources is fundamental to their cultural and physical survival. The aim was to register the traditional local knowledge about the different fish techniques, the influence of the dynamics of the natural environment on the activities of the blue land crab, and the relationships between the sizes of their dens and the sizes of the animals themselves. The only technique used to capture blue land crab is a trap called 'mousetrap'. It was recorded different materials such as PET bottles, to build the traps. The fishermen stated that fruits are used as bait as well as sugar-cane and onions. The phases of the moon and the different tides do not significantly influence their activities as the crabs inhabit higher lands beyond the influence of normal tides. The knowledge documented here concerning the blue land crab demonstrated that these shell fish harvesters have a detailed understanding of their environment based on observations and empiricism that allows them to determine which techniques and strategies will increase their chances of capturing their prey and consequently guaranteeing their income.

Do manguezal à panela: Aspectos bioecológicos da cadeia produtiva do Guaiamum (Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1825)

“…As ratoeiras são confeccionadas com garrafas de Polietileno Tereftalato (PET), o método utilizado com mais frequência. Em outros locais, além de garrafas PET, são utilizadas latas de óleo, tubos de Policloreto de Vinila (PVC), madeira e pedaços de bambu, com tiras de borracha (Maitland, 2002;Botelho et al, 2009;Takahashi & Nishida, 2018).…”

“…Eles também afirmam que eles comem "de tudo". De fato, esses animais ocupam, no manguezal, o nicho ecológico de detritívoros, pois geralmente se alimentam de frutas, folhas e grama, podendo também se alimentar de insetos, detritos, fezes e até mesmo indivíduos de sua própria espécie, estabelecendo uma prática de canibalismo (Pinheiro et al, 2016;Takahashi & Nishida, 2018).…”

“…Na Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) Barra do Rio Mamanguape, estado da Paraíba, são utilizadas folhas de espécies do mangue (Cortez, 2010). As iscas verificadas por Takahashi & Nishida (2018), no estado da Paraíba, foram frutas, cana-de-açúcar e cebola. Estes mesmos autores verificaram que as frutas são utilizadas por causa de seus odores, atuando como um grande atrativo para os animais.…”

Fishermen’s Knowledge of Astronomical Phenomena in Fishery Activities: A Systematic Literature Review

“…For example, shrimps are caught during a big, launch, and full tide, whereas bony fishes are usually caught during dead, breaking and dried tide. Hence, although most fishermen say that the moon and tidal cycles influence their marine catches, some fishermen catch blue land crabs in Mamanguape Estuary in Paraiba State, Brazil (Takahashi & Nishida, 2018) who are not influenced by the lunar or tidal cycle phenomena because this species lives in higher land compared to crabs that live in the lower land areas (Nishida et al, 2006). These fishermen communities carry out fishery activities at high tides during the full moon and new moon because, at that time, there are plenty of mosquitoes, and this disrupts their activities.…”

“…Fishing Techniques. Fishery catches such as fish (Alves et al, 2019;Bezerra et al, 2012) and crabs (Nishida et al, 2006;Takahashi & Nishida, 2018) must be caught using techniques suitable with the tidal cycle, moon phases and wind conditions. Farol de São Thomé Port, Southeastern Brazil fishermen use various techniques to catch marine life based on tidal cycles and moon phases (Alves et al, 2019).…”