As unidades de conservação do arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha e suas influências sobre a pesca local

Abstract

Two Conservation Units (UCs) composes the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago: The Fernando de Noronha Environmental Protection Area (APA-FN), and The Marine National Park of Fernando de Noronha (PARNAMAR-FN). The establishment of these two UCs influenced directly the way of leaving of the local population, because protected marine areas usually limit or restrict local fishing activities through measures adopted by your manager group. Therefore, the local fishing community of Fernando de Noronha had to adapt to a series of new restrictions and regulations, based on directives established by the management plan. However, artisanal fishing still is one of the major economic activities of the Archipelago, performed using boats with low level of automation and fishing strategies that adopt the use of casting net, hand line and live bait (Harengula clupeola). Therefore, assuming that the establishment of the UCs and its no take zones can affect and change several aspects of the local fishing community, this study aims to identify which elements configure Fernando de Noronha fishermen adaptability, and evaluate how the creation of the UCs influenced the fishing activity. The research lasted a 26 days campaign, performed by means of structured and semi structured quizzes and audio recording interviews with artisanal fishermen. On the data analysis, relative frequency of the responses determines the socio economic features of the interviewed. Thereafter, it was used statistical parametric methods for age and income; median value for first commercialized fish price, due to its non-normal distribution, and relative frequency of the responses for fishing description data and fishing efforts. Altogether, 27 artisanal fishermen were interviewed, most of them (57.70%) from Recife (PE); their average age was 52 years old (± 11.70 yrs.); fishing is the main source of income for 69.23% of them and their average monthly income is around R$ 3,022.00 (±R$ 1,343.25). Regarding the fishes frequently captured prior to the UC’s establishment and now, it was possible to identify 21 different types of fish; among the most frequently captured are the following types: Sphyraena barracuda, Thunnus spp., Elagattis bipinulata, Caranx lugubris e Acantocybium solandri. A difference was observed between the number of fishes mentioned prior to the UC’s establishment and now, exposing a decrease of the captured icthyofauna. In addition, fishing time increased after the establishment of PARNAMAR-FN and of its “no take” zone. The establishment of UCs influenced directly the useful area, consequently increasing the fishing efforts and the richness of the captured icthyofauna, but having small negative impact on the fishing activity itself. Indirectly, the UCs had a positive influence on fishermen profitability but a negative influence considering fishing activity ancestry.