Retrieving records of a rare and threatened shark in a mosaic of marine‐protected areas of southeastern Brazil

Abstract

In this study the authors use the Fishers ecological knowledge (FEK) from the south coast of the São Paulo State, in southeastern Brazil, to recover records of Atlantic nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), a threatened with extinction species, in a mosaic of marine-protected areas (MPAs) of the south coast of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, in the southernmost distribution of the species in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. For half a century, in the study area only one male of G. cirratum was officially recorded, in 1967. Retrieving records from artisanal fishers, recreational anglers, fishing guides and spearfishers added 30 more records of G. cirratum, including 2 recent captures (February/2022 and May/2022), especially around coastal islands that are covered by MPAs. Two uncommon fishing techniques, but which provided the highest number of records for the species, were documented. These are

Habitat-use of the vulnerable Atlantic Nurse Shark: a review

“…According to Albano et al (2021) , MPAs are more effective for elasmobranchs when they include species-specific habitats of shark species, thus novel MPAs should consider our findings which highlight the importance of protecting shallow sandy and seagrass habitats mainly during the reproductive period and reef habitats for all life stages. The recent discovery of the Atlantic Nurse Shark occurrence in São Paulo, Brazil shows that it is still possible to find essential habitats where they occur and has been poorly explored by researchers ( Santos et al, 2023 ). Currently, 7.9% of the Atlantic Nurse Shark occurrence area overlaps with MPAs, and the need for more numerous and larger MPAs (from tens to hundreds of km) encompassing a greater variety and connectivity between habitats are being evidenced ( Chapman et al, 2005 ; Albano et al, 2021 ; Dwyer et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The success is evidenced by the mating site fidelity of some individuals ( Pratt et al, 2022 ). Other evidence of MPAs’ importance to protect the Atlantic Nurse Shark is the recent discovery of their occurrence in its southernmost distribution, in a mosaic of no-take and sustainable use MPAs of São Paulo, Brazil, after being considered locally extinct ( Rosa et al, 2006 ; Santos et al, 2023 ). Even though they have been proven to be essential for species protection, these areas are often fewer and smaller than necessary to cover the home range of certain species, including the Atlantic Nurse Shark ( Ward-Paige, 2017 ; Dwyer et al, 2020 ), and are subjected to several political limitations, which may undermine their potential to protect threatened species.…”

Soltura Ou Arremesso? A Adoção De Boas Práticas De Pesca Pode Reduzir a Mortalidade Pós-Soltura De Um Tubarão Criticamente Ameaçado Na Pesca Artesanal No Sul Do Brasil

“…Um dos aspectos mais importantes a serem considerados, no que se refere ao melhoramento da gestão pesqueira, é a disposição dos próprios pescadores em colaborar no desenvolvimento de estratégias voltadas para a conservação de espécies ameaçadas de extinção (Santos;Einhardt & Velasco, 2016;Santos;Santoro & Chelotti, 2017). Cada vez mais diversos estudos têm mostrado os benefícios de manter um bom relacionamento entre pescadores, pesquisadores e gestores governamentais, reduzindo conflitos e gerando informações importantes para a detecção de novos registros de espécies, monitoramento participativo e percepções ambientais (Fogliarini et al, 2021;Santos, 2021;Santos et al, 2022Santos et al, , 2023.…”