Catch variability and growth of pink shrimp (farfantepenaeus paulensis) in two coastal lagoons of Uruguay and their relationship with ENSO events

Abstract

The pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Pérez Farfante, 1967) is distributed along the Atlantic Coast from Bahia (Brazil) to Mar del Plata (Argentina). The larval stages enter the Uruguayan brackish water lagoons during late spring to summer associated with tidal currents of the Brazilian Current. In such environments the growth is accelerated and in early autumn the individuals attain commercial size, supporting important regional artisanal fisheries. The pink shrimp catches from 1988 to 2013 were analyzed and related to phenomena of climate variability in ENSO events and to the growth of the species. The total catch ranges from 0.7 to 162 tons. The variation in catches has a negative relationship with the varied climatic events caused by El Niño. Growth parameters yielding values of L ∞ = 177 mm (total carapace length) and K = 1.48 for the period 2009-2013. These values differ slightly from those calculated for natural populations in southern Brazil, suggesting that the population is the same and thus implying the need for coordinated fisheries management between the two countries.