Recreational fishing in the Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve: subsidies for the integrated management of the Mosaic of Conservation Units Juréia-Itatins, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Recreational fishing is one of the most popular leisure activities in the world and, in Brazil, it is a relevant socioeconomic activity in several coastal populations. The management of this practice must conciliate traditional knowledge, scientific research, and the demands involved in using space and fishing resources to generate employment and income, without harming biodiversity. This article presents an analysis of recreational fishing in the Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve by primary and bibliographic data and results of participatory workshops, aiming to generate information and discussions relevant to fisheries management integrated in the Juréia-Itatins Mosaic of Conservation Units, in the south coast of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The main services provided to recreational fishing and structured in the territory are the activities of fishing guides or pilots, trading live baits, and renting boats, while, accommodation and food still require organization. Centropomus parallelus and C. undecimalis are target species, and the profile of practitioners – systematized by the scientific literature – demonstrates certain patterns related to age, fishing time, and place of origin. As for the use of space, of the 40 identified fishing spots, only nine used by recreational fishermen overlap with the fishing grounds used by artisanal fishermen, which may indicate little competition for resources between the fishing categories.