Gestão de unidades de conservação marinhas: o caso do Parque Estadual Marinho da Pedra da Risca do Meio, NE - Brasil.

Abstract

The importance Protected Areas as a tool for conservation and sustainable resource use has been widely acknowledged. Historically, the concept and management of protected areas was developed with the focus on terrestrial environments. In the past few decades, the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) has gained increasing attention in regards to the management of coastal and oceanic ecosystems. In this context, the environmental management in Brazil may be considered recent, with the first federal protected areas designated in the 1930s, while the first MPA was created only in 1979. Since then, many other terrestrial and marine protected areas were created by different governmental instances. This situation posed a legal and administrative conundrum, leading to an attempt to regulate and organize the protected areas with the promulgation of the National System of Nature Conservation Units (SNUC) law. Many MPAs still await the revision of their legal status and adequacy to the SNUC law. Such is the case of the Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine Park (PEMPRM), located 10 nm off Fortaleza, Northeast Brazil. The PEMPRM was created in 1997, and is one of the few underwater marine protected areas in Brazil. This article presents the history of creation, the characterization of biotic resources, and management issues of the PEMPRM, and point to possible solutions to current problems of the protected area. The information presented here was obtained through available documents and interviews with social and governmental actors involved in the process of creation and management of the PEMPRM. The park limits have a rectangular shape, covering a submerged area of 33.2 Km2 . The main feature and reason for the park creation is a large sandstone formation, surrounded by sand and gravel with large aggregations of coralline algae. The depths in the area vary from 16 to 30 m, with the water temperature around 27ºC during all year. The transparency of the water may reach 30 m in the PEMPRM, which turned the area in the most frequently visited recreational diving site for the state of Ceara. In terms of the biological significance, previous studies of the area revealed a rich and diverse fauna, composed by 116 fish species, including 6 elasmobranchs, but also the dolphin Turciops truncatus as well as three species of sea turtles. In terms of invertebrates, the area is still poorly studied, but a first survey on the Porifera revealed the presence of the endemic species Sigmaxinella cearense Salani, Lotufo & Hajdu, 2006, included in a genus recorded only for the Pacific. The PEMPRM was idealized to cope with the chaotic and unsustainable situation of the fisheries along the state, protecting the artisanal fishermen and restricting the use of predatory methods. On this regard, a letter and manifest was issued in 1996 with the support of the local fishermen, defending the creation of the park. The state environmental agency (SEMACE) responded in 1997 with the elaboration of a law that created the PEMPRM and also set the rules for its use. According to the rules, underwater hunting or capture of any sort of marine organism was prohibited. The lobster fishery and the use of traps, long-lines or any artifact with the potential to degrade the environment were also banned. The artisanal fishery was allowed, but only with a single hook and line. Despite its legal protection, many predatory activities were reported in the area after 1997, such as lobster fishery and capture of ornamental fishes. With the dual goals of protecting the environment and also the artisanal fishermen, its classification by the state as a “park” is contradictory in respect to the SNUC federal law. According to the SNUC, “park” is a category for integral protection, which means that any resource exploitation is not allowed. It is worth noting that the PEMPRM was created three years before the SNUC, justifying the inadequacy of the category employed by the state. Nevertheless, the legal situation of the PEMPRM must be amended. As to the effectiveness of the management of the PEMPRM, the status was considered medially satisfactory, and on the positive side present: absence of conflicts for domain, accurate geographic limit and compatibility between permitted use and objectives. However, several negative aspects may be pointed out: lack of funds directed to the administration of PEMPRM, the conflict between the original law that creates the park and the SNUC, the absence of a management plan and inefficiency in prevention of illegal activities, mainly related to fishing. Finally, a plan of action that aims to improve the environmental management of PEMPRM must include: 1) adjustment to the SNUC law, based on public assemblies and current scientific knowledge; 2) a specific budget for the administration and monitoring of the park; 3) a complete study of the oceanographic and biological aspects of the PEMPRM; 4) elaboration and full implementation of a management plan; 5) environmental education initiatives directed to the fishermen communities; 6) constant patrol of the area. The underwater tourism is a viable alternative for financial support of the PEMPRM, and may be involve the fishermen through job opportunities and environmental education. The situations considered here can be used as an example to discussions concerning the management of other underwater protected areas around the world