Etnoecologia de pescadores artesanais sobre espécies nativas e exóticas em reservatórios do semiárido brasileiro

Abstract

Ethnoecology seeks to understand how different human groups interact with and understand the natural resources and ecosystems they manage. Fishermen spend a considerable part of their lives in contact with the environment and the species they manage, therefore, they are carriers of relevant knowledge about them. Therefore, understanding the interfaces between the knowledge of these populations and scientific knowledge makes it possible to point out gaps to be investigated and to guide the conservation of fishery resources. Thus, the objective was to compare the ethno-historical knowledge of the artisanal fishermen of the public reservoirs Araras and Edson Queiroz (middle Acaraú River basin-CE) with the scientific literature. For this purpose, a representative population was selected for each of these weirs: Ilha de Esaú, for the Araras weir, and Vila São Cosme, for the Edson Queiroz weir. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, visual stimulus and guided tours with local fishermen were used. The interviews addressed ethno-ecological aspects of the main fish species caught in the region. It was concluded that fishermen have greater knowledge of native species, because they have managed them fora longer time and/or because of changes in the behavior ofexotic species in an ecosystem with markedly divergent characteristicsfrom the ecosystems of origin of these species. This knowledge can contribute to future scientific studies and be incorporated into the development of management plans and sustainable management of water and fish resources in the middle Acaraú region.