Small-scale Fisheries, Livelihoods, and Food Security of Riverine People

Abstract

This chapter describes the dynamics of Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) in two large and less-studied Amazonian rivers, the Tapajós and Negro, comparing fishing communities inside and outside Extractive Reserves (ER) in both rivers. The data presented in this chapter are based on interviews (n = 281 fishers) and participatory fisheries monitoring, on which fishers recorded their catches, producing a total of 3830 records and 44, 369.63 kg of fish caught. Interviewed fishers have a long time of fishing experience in the studied region. The fishing frequency is high (most fishers go fish more than three times a week), and paddled and motorized canoes were the most used vessels during fishing trips; gillnets were the most employed fishing gear, followed by handlines and harpoons. Fishers from outside ER in both rivers have a higher production (biomass) of fish per fishing trip but employed more fishing effort (time spent fishing). The fishing productivity measures as catch per unit of effort (CPUE in kg/fisher/hour) showed similar values between outside and inside ER in Tapajós river, while communities inside ER in Negro river showed the lowest values of CPUE, possibly due to the use of more selective fishing gears. Ecological, local, and socioeconomic factors influenced the composition of fish catches. The type of river (ecological factor) and, mainly, the fishing communities (local and socioeconomic factor) had a higher influence on fish species composition than location inside or outside ERs and seasonality.