Caracterização da pesca artesanal no estuário do Rio Serinhaém na Microrregião do Baixo Sul da Bahia

Abstract

Artisanal fishing is an important means of fish production in the northeast Brazilian, mainly in the state of Bahia, since it corresponds to almost all of its fisheries production. Fishing, being used as a means of subsistence and supplementation of income, is an essential alternative for the way of life of residents of that region. The present work aimed to characterize the fishing activity in the estuary of the Serinhaém River, covering aspects technological and socioeconomic aspects of artisanal fishermen in the region. Data collection took place from January to November 2010, through the application of a semi-structured questionnaire to 180 fishermen and shellfish gatherers, residents of fishing communities in the municipalities of Igrapiúna (Contract, Pescaria and Timbuca) and Ituberá (Barra de Serinhaém, Rio do Campo and Headquarters). You results showed that the predominance of fishermen is male (73.34%), aged between 31 and 40 years (27.78%). Most have the category of professional fisherman (96.11%), with family income between 1 and 2 minimum wages minima. Regarding housing conditions, almost all of the residences of respondents are built of masonry covered with tile, and have home appliances and electronic gadgets. The main vessels used by the fishermen of the region were the wooden canoe propelled by oar and sail, working inside the estuary, and the small and medium-sized sloop, with greater activity at the outlet of the estuary to the sea. Hammocks were the main arts of fishing used by fishermen being of the type: sling, bottom trawler, small net trawl and mulch. However, the manzuás for capturing crabs presented representativeness in the interviews. The main groups of captured species cited by the interviewees were: fish (red, sardine, true, pititinga, red snapper, guaricema, mullet, bighead, carapeba, fat sea bass, white hake, among others); crustaceans (tip crab, white shrimp, caboclo shrimp, aratu) and molluscs (mussels, lambreta and mangrove and stone oyster). Fishing in the estuary of the Serinhaém river has handicraft characteristics and is mainly used as a source of subsistence and income generation for the fishermen of the communities riverside.