Abundância de raias demersais após proibição de pesca de arrasto por embarcações motorizadas na Costa do Ceará

Abstract

Bycatch fisheries may be considered one of the greatest threats to marine life. The influence of these captures in marine ecosystems makes it one of the most pressing issues on nature conservation today. For decades, there was in Fortaleza, CE, a shrimp otter trawl fisheries activity conducted by motorized boats that accidently captured batoids. This activity has been prohibited by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment since 2003. The goal of the present study was to evaluate if the prohibition of shrimp otter trawl fisheries activity conducted by motorized boats on coastal areas (1) affects the abundance of demersal batoids; (2) which portion of these batoids’ populations is under the effect of the prohibition of this fishery activity; and (3) if species considered by the current Brazilian legislation as under any level of threat also are effected by this prohibition. In the present study, fourteen scientific sampling were carried out on Mucuripe Bay, Fortaleza, CE, between September 2004 and November 2010. During each survey, 10 stations were sampled with otter trawl net, circa 14 m depth. In addition, unpublished data on the abundance of batoids captured as bycatch by shrimp fisheries in this same bay, between 1997 and 1998, were compiled. The prohibition of the shrimp fisheries using motorized boats, in coastal areas, affects positively the abundance of demersal batoids previously impacted by this activity. Furthermore, the coastal area studied is used by all size classes of the batoids Dasyatis guttata and Gymnura micrura and, therefore, it may be considered important for reproduction of these species. Lastly, this same Bay is also home for several species that currently are considered by the Brazilian legislation as endangered (n=4) or overexploited or threatened of overexploitation (n=7).