Caracterização da pesca artesanal na Região do Engenho da Vitória no Município de Cachoeira, Bahia

Abstract

Artisanal fishing is one of the most exploited productive activities in riverside communities and communities on the coast of Brazil, providing food from animal production and a source of income for a better quality of life for people. Fishermen in Bahia are essentially artisanal and live from fishing for subsistence and income supplementation. The objective of this work was to characterize the artisanal fishing carried out in the region of Engenho da Vitória, located in the municipality of Cachoeira, Bahia. Data were obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire, in which a fisherman was interviewed based on the indication of the previous one. From November 2017 to February 2018, a total of 24 interviews were carried out, with the responses compiled in Excel spreadsheets for analysis. Most fishermen were between 47 and 56 years old, had incomplete elementary school, were single and had a family income obtained from fishing. The main vessel used was the wooden canoe, ranging in size from 3 to 12 meters, using a low-powered outboard motor or oar. The fishing gear most used by fishermen was the gill net, followed by the manzuá, the shrimp and the hand line. The fish species reported by the fishermen as the most captured were: sea bass, mullet, white shrimp, coveta and carapeba. Fishing was carried out in the fishing grounds of Engenho da Vitória and Pedra da Balha. Summer corresponded to the best fishing season, as it allows the salinity of the estuary waters to be higher, providing a greater diversity of marine/estuarine fish. The main obstacles reported by fishermen in the region were the Pedra do Cavalo dam and pump fishing, carried out by fishermen from other fishing communities. The shrimp closed period was the main law known to the fishermen, who, according to reports, this benefit was not being paid regularly. Sea bass was the most cited fish species with the possibility of sexually differentiating by external characteristics, in which the female has a larger belly. Most fishermen considered kingfish to be stingray, single, catfish and mullet. Some fish were cited in relation to kinship, through physical characteristics: seabass and camurumpim, sea bass and carapeba, mullet and coveta, mullet and curimã, serrinha and pitititinga, sapoca and xangó. However, some did not show any degree of physical resemblance, such as: sea bass and camurupim, sea bass and carapeba. Some fishermen considered fishing a dangerous profession, due to drowning, capturing dangerous species and being able to get entangled in the net. The results of this work will be important to support management plans for artisanal fishing in the Engenho da Vitória region.