Understanding Artisanal Fishers’ Behaviors: The Case of Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombia

Abstract

Abstract:We investigate the ecological impact caused by fishing grounds and the fishing gear/methods used by fishers in Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), an estuarine lagoon located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. To do so, we build individual and composite ecological sustainable indicators based on the opinions of a group of experienced fishers and a group of scientists. Additionally, we use those indicators to examine the influence of socioeconomic and perceptional factors on fishers' fishing behaviors and how those behaviors may be affecting CGSM fishery resources. Our results suggest that fishers and scientists differ in their opinions about the impact of fishing on CGSM. Additionally, we found that having a higher level of education, sharing household expenses with other family members and spending more hours fishing lead to ecologically-sustainable fishing behavior, while the perception that the government is responsible for CGSM conservation leads to ecologically unsustainable fishing behavior.

Fishing operations and adaptive strategies of small‐scale fishers: insights for fisheries management in data‐poor situations

“…This proved to be true and is consistent with other studies (Béné & Tewfik ; Torres‐Guevara et al . ). However, in other cases, the assumption may not apply, such as divers in Costa Rica who kept profitable species for personal consumption, and do not always show a profit maximising response (Naranjo‐Madrigal et al .…”

“…; Torres‐Guevara et al . ), which implies a change in the fishing method or gear. These responses involve the fishers' decisions regarding the implications of such shifting (e.g.…”

“…; Torres‐Guevara et al . ); economic incentives, environmental conditions and resource availability account for the shifting decisions.…”

“…; Torres‐Guevara et al . ), fishers held fishing permits for all species, but the gears employed in each case were different. Fishers therefore needed to decide in advance, the main target species for a particular trip, especially if a switch occurred that involved also changing fishing methods and gears.…”

“…; Torres‐Guevara et al . ). However, empirical research on the adaptive responses of small‐scale fishers to changes in catches over time is less common.…”