Collaborative Research on Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus): Catches from the Small-Scale Fishery of Copacabana Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Salivonchyk

Hallwass³

et al. 2017

Ambio

Self Cite

Small-scale fisheries of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Coast (BAFC) depend on fish resources for food and income. Thus, if the catch diminishes or if fish species that are a target for fishers are overexploited or impacted, this could affect fishers' livelihoods. The exclusion of threatened fish species from the catch is believed to be a threat to small-scale fisheries, which is likely to be the case along the BAFC. Many fish species are currently listed as threatened or vulnerable, whereas there is not enough biological information available to determine the status of the majority of the other species. Failure to protect the BAFC biodiversity might negatively impact fishers' income and the regional economy of local small-scale fisheries. We collected data from 1986 to 2009 through 347 interviews and 24-h food recall surveys at seven southeastern coastal sites of the Atlantic Forest. We show that important species of consumed fish are currently threatened: of the 65 species mentioned by fishers as the most consumed fishes, 33% are decreasing and 54% have an unknown status. Thus, biological and ecological data for BAFC marine species are urgently needed, along with co-management, to promote fish conservation.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Threatened fish and fishers along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Coast

Salivonchyk

Hallwass³

et al. 2017

Ambio

Self Cite

“…Projects in Brazil and other studies were performed in this way, especially with grouper ( Epinephelus spp.) [57,58]. These are studies in which both local knowledge and citizen science are involved; the local knowledge comes from fishers who provide their own knowledge (such as the reproductive period or knowledge on the aggregation of species), but the fishers also participate in a training program within the research project.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating science and citizen science: the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) sustainable fishery of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Salivonchyk

2019

Preprint

Self Cite

21We followed landings of dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, from 2013 to 2019. 22 We observed 1,896 individuals of dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, in Copacabana, Rio 23 de Janeiro, from September 2013 to February 2019. The total weight of the catches was 6,065.57 24 kg, with an average of 1,442.50 kg/year and a std of 147.30 kg. 25 We integrated fishers in our study through citizen science (CS): individuals were trained 26 to monitor grouper gonads and supplied information on fishing spots and prices. After comparing 27 catch curves (based on weight) and curve prices (in the Brazilian monetary currency of reals), 28 our results showed that catches in the Copacabana fishery have been stable (the results of the 29 Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant difference for either the weight of the catches or the 30 average prices of dusky groupers in the years compared). Copacabana has been a sustainable 31 fishery when considering its catches of dusky grouper. This is a very important result for 32 conservation and management, considering the importance of small-scale fisheries in terms of 33 their low fishing efforts and their possible effects on vulnerable species, as well as their 34 ecological and economic importance in developing countries. Citizen science, alomng with local 35 ecological knowledge, helps integrate research and fisheries as well as researchers and fishers 36 and allows for larger sampling efforts and management training for fishers. 57 (e) SFFs lack infrastructure, often occur in remote areas and have low political 58 power. 59 60 Citizen science, local knowledge and the Copacabana fishery 61Disciplines occupy different niches, and ecology came to be a separate niche (as did 62 human ecology) in the postwar period, altering its identity from a soft to a hard science; 63 however, the field of ecology has never lost its links to the physical and social sciences [7]. The 64understanding of the complexities of fisheries management can help to re-establish the balance 65 between the physical and social sciences and conservation ecology by demonstrating that 66 scientific research could be aided in obtaining positive outcomes for fisheries management by 67 other forms of knowledge. 68Currently, local knowledge (LEK) is still under scrutiny with respect to its usefulness and 69 its acceptance in biological or fisheries science [8]. Here, we argue that LEK is very important 70 for data-poor countries; through knowledge from fishers (i.e., LEK) or the public (i.e., CS), we 71 can reduce the costs of time and money by increasing the efficiency of ecological data collection. 72Tropical countries, in particular, lack the infrastructure for data collection, and many have high 73 biodiversity with several species for which there is no knowledge at all. In Brazil, for example, 74 among the 65 marine species most often consumed by marine small-scale fisheries, 33% are 75 decreasing, and 54% have an unknown status [9]. In the freshwater fisheries of the Amazonian 5 76 rivers, among the 90...

“…A comprehensive review of the dusky grouper was recently published by Condini et al [21], which included an evaluation of the current knowledge of the biology and ecology of this species. Some information that has already been synthesized is as follows [22, 24, 38–45]: groupers (Epinephelidae) includes about 160 species important economically, such as dusky grouper; it is a protogynous hermaphrodite fish, reaching female sexual maturity at 3 kg, with a mean length at first maturity (L50) of 43.8 cm (Ls) and sex reversal occurring at 10 kg [40, 41]. The largest specimens of this fish were caught in Tunisia (35 kg) and in Brazil (60 kg) [40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Small-scale fishers in Northeast Brazil refer to red grouper when asked about the dusky grouper. We presented data on dusky grouper in previous studies [2, 8, 19, 35, 38], which focused on other aspects related to small-scale fisheries and LEK. With a focus on Brazil, we summarize selected studies on dusky grouper, present data on this species regarding production by small-scale fisheries in the southeast and present the LEK of groupers from small-scale fisheries along the northeast to the southern coast of the country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fishers and groupers (Epinephelus marginatus and E. morio) in the coast of Brazil: integrating information for conservation

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

Salyvonchyk

Glamuzina

et al. 2019

Self Cite

BackgroundGroupers are a vulnerable but economically important group of fish, especially for small-scale fisheries. We investigated catches and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of diet, habitat, and past fishing experiences.MethodsLandings, prices, interviews, and restaurants demand for two species, Epinephelus marginatus (dusky grouper) and Epinephelus morio (red grouper), were registered.ResultsWe visited 74 markets and 79 sites on the coast of Brazil in 2017–2018, and we interviewed 71 fishers: Bahia (NE), Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (SE), and Santa Catarina (S). The landings sampled of dusky grouper (2016–2017) in Rio de Janeiro were: n = 222, size 38–109 cm, weight 1–24 kg, average 3.84 kg; in São Paulo, São Sebastião were: n = 47, size 39–106 cm, weight 2–8 kg, average of 2.77 kg; and at Santos: n = 80, 26–120 cm, weight 0.36–15 kg, average 2.72 kg. Red grouper was observed in markets in the northeastern Brazil. We did not observe Epinephelus marginatus from Bahia northward; a maximum size of 200 cm was reported south of the Bahia, besides Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo coasts, 20 years ago (or longer) by 12 fishers. Local knowledge of fishers was important for grouper data of habitat and diet; the reproduction period was identified by fishers as September to March.ConclusionsGroupers can be considered as a cultural and ecological keystone species. We suggest protective measures: 1) fishing zoning, 2) islands (MPAs) with the surveillance of fishers, 3) late Spring and early Summer as key periods for management (grouper reproduction), 4) studies on grouper larvae, 5) mapping of fishing spots, 6) studies on local knowledge. Collaboration with small-scale fishers and local knowledge could contribute to low-conflict management measures. In that regard, integrative models of management from Latin America, by using local knowledge and citizen science, could produce successful grouper management for Brazilian data-poor fisheries, a contrasting reality to the Mediterranean areas. Finally, the distribution of E. marginatus in Brazil leave us with questions: a) Have dusky groupers disappeared from Bahia because of a decline in the population? b) Was it uncommon in Northeast Brazil? c) Did changes in water temperatures forced a movement southward?