Deep water fisheries in Brazil: history, status and perspectives

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The recent development of deep-water fisheries off Brazil is reviewed from biological, economic, and political perspectives. This process has been centered in the southeastern and southern sectors of the Brazilian coast (19°-34°S) and was motivated by the overfishing of the main coastal resources and a government-induced vessel-chartering program. Shelf break (100-250 m) operations by national hook-and-line and trawl vessels intensified in the 1990s. Around 2000-2001, however, foreign-chartered longliners, gillnetters, potters, and trawlers started to operate in Brazilian waters, leading the occupation of the upper slope (250-500 m), mostly targeting monkfish (Lophyus gastrophysus), the Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi), the Brazilian codling (Urophycis mystacea), the wreckfish (Polyprion americanus), the Argentine short-fin squid (Illex argentinus), the red crab (Chaceon notialis), and the royal crab (Chaceon ramosae). Between 2004 and 2007, chartered trawlers established a valuable fishery on deep-water shrimps (family Aristeidae), heavily exploiting the lower slope (500-1000 m). Total catches of deep-water resources varied annually from 5,756 ton in 2000 to a maximum of 19,923 ton in 2002, decreasing to nearly 11,000 ton in 2006. Despite intensive data collection, the availability of timely stock assessments, and a formal participatory process for the discussion of management plans, deep-water stocks are already considered to be overexploited due to limitations of governance.Keywords: deep-water fishery, stock assessment, fishery management, southwest Atlantic, Brazil.Pesquerías de aguas profundas en Brasil: historia, situación actual y perspectivas RESUMEN. El reciente desarrollo de la pesca profunda en Brasil fue revisado desde perspectivas biológicas, económicas y políticas. Este proceso se ha centrado en los sectores sureste y sur de la costa de Brasil (19°-34°S) y fue motivado por la sobrepesca de los principales recursos costeros en conjunto con una política gubernamental de arriendo de buques pesqueros. Las operaciones de pesca sobre el borde de la plataforma (100-250 m) por buques palangreros y arrastreros se intensificaron en la década del 90. Sin embargo, entre 2000 y 2001 empezaron a operar buques arrendados para la pesca con palangre, red de enmalle, nasas y arrastre en aguas brasileras y lideraron el proceso de ocupación del talud superior (250-500 m) dirigido principalmente a la captura del rape (Lophyus gastrophysus), merluza argentina (Merluccius hubbsi), brótola de profundidad (Urophycis mystacea), chernia (Polyprion americanus), calamar argentino (Illex argentinus), cangrejo rojo (Chaceon notialis) y cangrejo real (Chaceon ramosae).

An assessment of oceanic seabird abundance and distribution off the southern Brazilian coast using observations obtained during deep-water fishing operations

“…Slope trawlers operated mostly on the lower continental slope (500-800 m) between 22° and 29° S; primarily targeting deep-water shrimp (Family Aristeidae), as well as groundfish (monkfish, hake (Merluccius hubbsi Marini, 1933) and others (Alvarez Perez et al, 2009 (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915).…”

“…Since the year 2000, a government-induced vesselchartering programme initiative has attracted foreign fishing fleets to the Brazilian waters which were not being used by the domestic fleet (Perez et al, 2003;Alvarez Perez et al, 2009). As part of the agreement between Brazil and the foreign fleets, these foreign vessels are required to carry observers during their operations in Brazilian waters, in order to collect data on: (a) the fishing operations and technology; (b) processing and handling practices; (c) distribution and abundance patterns of potential fishing resources; and (d) general impacts on the marine ecosystem (Alvarez Perez et al, 2009).…”

“…As part of the agreement between Brazil and the foreign fleets, these foreign vessels are required to carry observers during their operations in Brazilian waters, in order to collect data on: (a) the fishing operations and technology; (b) processing and handling practices; (c) distribution and abundance patterns of potential fishing resources; and (d) general impacts on the marine ecosystem (Alvarez Perez et al, 2009). The programme has provided an unprecedented opportunity to collect data on the characteristics and extent of bird and marine mammal bycatch as a function of the employed fishing methods.…”

Reproduction of the silver John dory Zenopsis conchifer (Actinopterygii: Zeiformes) based on virgin stock condition

“…In terms of harvesting, the Southeastern-Southern of Brazil is the most productive area of the coast, sustaining annual catches between 200,000-300,000 tons (BRASIL 2006, Valentini & Pezzutto 2006, MPA 2011. Pelagic and demersal species have been targeted by the commercial fleet, emphasizing the growing importance that deep-sea species, such as Z. conchifer, have acquired from the 2000s on (Perez et al 2009, UNIVALI/CTTMar 2011)…”

Interannual Variation in the Population Dynamics of Juveniles of the Deep-Sea Crab Chionoecetes tanneri

“…Only a subset of those studies has focused on spatial structure at small scales and life-history characteristics (e.g., Abelló et al, 1990;López Abellán et al, 2002;Martí-Trujillo et al, 2014;Biscoito et al, 2015). Indeed, most studies have focused on the estimation of biomass for the management of the development of new fisheries (Defeo et al, 1991;Pezzuto et al, 2006;Perez et al, 2009;Masello and Defeo, 2016). These studies often recommended a need for increased knowledge of population dynamics (Perez et al, 2003).…”