A explotação petrolífera e as pescas marinhas no estado do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)

Abstract

The exploitation of oil and gas is carried out intensively on the Campos oil- fi eld, northern Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, an area where small-scale and industrial fi sheries of important regional fi shing resources are exerted, namely, Brazilian sardinela, Sardinella brasiliensis; brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus spp.; skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis; black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci; tilefi sh, Lopholatilus vilarii; snowy grouper, Epinephelus niveatus; red grouper, Epinephelus marginatus; sandperch, Pseudopercis numida; and Sciaenidae demersal fi sh. This research work was designed to investigate the impact of oil exploitation activities on the abundance of the above-mentioned species. Its results are as follows: (a) the oil exploitation was found to hold no direct bearing upon the fi sheries for Brazilian sardinella and brown shrimp; (b) the oil exploitation was found to hold a direct bearing upon the fi sheries for hook-andline caught fi sh, skipjack tuna and Sciaenidae demersal fi sh; (c) the interaction between oil exploitation and fi shing was deemed benefi cial because of the power of attraction of fi sh by fl oating metallic oil-rig structures and the increase of watercarried nutrients to the surface; (d) such benefi ts, though, are minimized by the imposition of a zone of exclusion for hookand-line, live bait and trawling fl eet operations on the area under the infl uence of Cabo Frio upwelling.