Participatory Research with Fishers to Improve Knowledge on Small-Scale Fisheries in Tropical Rivers

Abstract

Freshwater small-scale fisheries sustain millions of livelihoods worldwide, but a lack of monitoring makes it difficult to check the sustainability of these fisheries. We aim to compare and describe participatory research methods used in studies with fishers in the Tapajos River, a poorly known tropical river in the Brazilian Amazon. We address three interview approaches, two ways to do fisheries monitoring and two approaches for georeferenced mapping based on fishers’ knowledge, which can provide data about at least 16 topics related to fisheries. We highlight major advantages and shortcomings of these methods and illustrate their potential with examples of results on fisheries and fish biology of Peacock bass (Cichla spp. tucunaré in Brazil), an important commercial fish in the Brazilian Amazon. The interviews, participatory monitoring and mapping revealed which fish are more valued by local communities, how fish abundance and sizes varied over time, when fish are more often caught and show reproductive activity, and which sites or habitats fish need to reproduce. In addition to providing useful data from many sites in a cost-effective way, participatory methods can bring the additional benefit of including local stakeholders in the monitoring, management, and research activities.

Protected areas and frugivorous fish in tropical rivers: Small‐scale fisheries, conservation and ecosystem services

“…Although usually less precise, more variable, and less predictable than more controlled records taken directly by researchers, data gathered from fishers, or other resource users, have provided detailed and reliable information on resource use. This may sometimes be the only data source available, may complement biological data, and be more accurate than interviews (Daw, Robinson & Graham, 2011; O'Donnell, Molloy & Vincent, 2012; Silvano & Hallwass, 2020). The participatory approach adopted here can be widely applied elsewhere and has been successfully adopted in small‐scale coastal fisheries (Hamilton et al, 2012; O'Donnell, Molloy & Vincent, 2012; Begossi, Salivonchyk & Silvano, 2016; Schemmel et al, 2016), recreational freshwater fisheries (Zukowski, Curtis & Watts, 2011) and for monitoring terrestrial mammals (Luzar et al, 2011).…”

“…Forms containing inconsistencies or missing essential information were also excluded from analyses (Table S1). More details on methodological procedures related to the participatory monitoring of fisheries can be found in previous publications (Hallwass et al, 2020; Keppeler et al, 2020; Silvano, 2020; Silvano & Hallwass, 2020).…”

Just Aquatic Governance: The Amazon basin as fertile ground for aligning participatory conservation with social justice

“…Regardless of the territorial rights regime, the definition of units to be managed should be, and often is, done in partnership with local residents based on their local or traditional knowledge (Fabré, Batista, Ribeiro, & Ladle, 2012; Silvano & Hallwass, 2020). To date, many of the agreements established either within or outside protected areas and Indigenous Lands still lack reliable multipartnerships and some initial enabling conditions (e.g.…”

“…Moreover, given that communities are not completely isolated from one another, possible conflicts over how the management unit is used should be anticipated. Therefore, communities should be supported to devise mechanisms to resolve conflicts, beginning with mapping the spatial–temporal use of resources to understand how river basin resources are assessed and possibly disputed (Fabré et al, 2012; Silvano & Hallwass, 2020). Whenever communities are not ready to devise these mechanisms, multi‐partnerships with the government, research institutions, companies and academia can work towards promoting capacity building (Table 1).…”

“…Explicit harvesting zones interspersed with no-take areas seek to ensure the reproduction of target species and the replenishment of depleted environments through source-sink dynamics (Silvano, Ramires, & Zuanon, 2009). Regardless of the territorial rights regime, the definition of units to be managed should be, and often is, done in partnership with local residents based on their local or traditional knowledge (Fabré, Batista, Ribeiro, & Ladle, 2012;Silvano & Hallwass, 2020). To date, many of the agreements established either within or outside protected areas and Indigenous Lands still lack reliable multipartnerships and some initial enabling conditions (e.g.…”