Fish for sale or for consumption? Variables for sustainability in artisanal fisheries
Artisanal fishers on the southern coast of Brazil tend to sell those fish species with a higher commercial value and trophic level, while leaving for their own consumption those species with a lower sale price and and smaller weight or size.
This is the result of a study carried out by a scientific team including the postdoctoral researcher of the ERC Tradition project at ICTA-UAB, Dannieli F. Herbst, which analyses the variables that influence the choice of fishing resource target, either for consumption and/or sale (such as commercial value, trophic level and habitat) among artisanal fishers in a subtropical estuarine system.
The results of the study, which has been published in the journal Fisheries Research, shows that artisanal fishing can target a variety of species and understanding the reasons that influence the choice of fishery resources for sale or consumption helps to understand possible patterns of use and pressures on exploited species.
The commercial value of the different captured species influences the dedication and effort of fishermen. However, there are other reasons that may interfere with the choice of species for sale or consumption, such as total fish biomass, trophic level, species habitat or individual fishermen's preferences.
Researchers interviewed 80 artisanal (crustaceans, molluscs and finfish) fishers from the region of Babitonga bay, located on the southern coast of Brazil. They found that some species used for consumption and sale are classified with different degrees of threat in terms of their conservation status, both in local and international assessments.
The researchers believe that understanding patterns of use and exploitation of fishery resources can guide decision-making and fisheries management strategies for the sustainable use of resources without compromising the social, cultural and economic activities of artisanal fishers.
For more details, visit the link (https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1gTXxbiU1zM0L) and read the paper in full.