Marcação de currais de pesca na praia de Bitupitá - CE: condicionantes oceanográficas e conhecimento ecológico tradicional

Abstract

The ecological traditional knowledge found in Brazilian coastal communities appears to be the most efficient set of information on coastal landscape, given the importance of understanding the coastal and marine environment dynamics to maintenance, and mediation of relations of these communities with the environment they inhabit. The main goal of this study is characterize the fishing corral technique and its use in marine fishing activities through the relationship between the described gear and the local environmental characteristics of Bitupitá beach (Barroquinha, Ceará). Natives have been carrying out this activity for centuries. Through constant observation of the coastal landscape they build categories and methods to analyze the behavior of natural processes that make up the local coastal dynamics. In order to obtain data from fishermen, I used ethno scientific methods such as open and semi-structured interviews, guided tours, and construction of themed designs. At the end of the study was possible to identify the environmental and oceanographic components that are essential for knowing where to position fishing corrals in that location, as well as the behavior of these variables during the period of one year. Moreover, it was possible to describe the main features of construction, framework, and operating of fishing corral. Also, I could identify the major species of fish caught and their occurrence cycles.