Folk taxonomy of fishes of artisanal fishermen of Ilhabela (São Paulo/Brazil)

Abstract

This article investigates the folk taxonomy of four artisanal fisheries communities in Ilhabela/SP. The local folk taxonomy shows how these fishermen identify, name and classify fish resources in the environment exploited by them. Forty-two fishermen from four different local communities of Ilhabela were interviewed through a structured questionnaire and photographs of fish species with occurrence for the southeast region of Brazil. Respondents identified the 24 species listed as 50 generic names and 27 binominal specific names, mainly related to aspects of fish species morphology such as color, shape and size. These fish were classified into eight groups according to local criteria related to the morphology, ecology and fishing forms associated with the capture of species. The morphological aspect was identified as the most used feature by respondents to name and classify local fish, followed by ecological aspects such as behavior, diet and habitat. The comparison of local criteria used for the groups was similar to the scientific taxonomy criteria, showing a detailed local ecological knowledge by this group of fishers. Resumo: Este artigo investiga a etnotaxonomia de quatro comunidades de pescadores artesanais de Ilhabela/SP. A etnotaxonomia mostra como esses pescadores, identificam, nomeam e classificam os recursos pesqueiros no ambiente explorado por eles. Quarenta e dois pescadores de quatro diferentes comunidades locais de Ilhabela foram entrevistados através de um questionário estruturado e fotografias de espécies de peixes de ocorrência para a região sudeste do Brasil. Os entrevistados identificaram as 24 espécies listadas através de 50 nomes genéricos e 27 nomes específicos binomiais, principalmente relacionados com aspectos morfológicos como forma, cor e tamanho. Estes peixes foram classificados em oito grupos de acordo com critérios locais relacionados com a morfologia, ecologia e técnicas de pesca associados à captura de tais espécies. O aspecto morfológico foi identificado como o fator mais utilizado pelos entrevistados para nomear e classificar as espécies de peixes, seguidos por critérios relacionados à ecologia das espécies tais como, dieta, comportamento e habitat. A comparação dos critérios locais utilizados para os grupos foi semelhante aos critérios científicos de taxonomia, mostrando um detalhado conhecimento ecológico local deste grupo de pescadores. Palavras-chave : ictiofauna, biodiversidade, classificação biológica, ecologia humana, etnoecologia, recursos pesqueiros. 30 Ramires, M. et al.

How do Artisanal Fishermen Name Fish? An Ethnotaxonomic Study in Northeastern Brazil

“…Local names given to fish by the inhabitants of fishing communities are generally very similar, and have been reported in other localities in Brazil (Begossi and Figueiredo 1995;Freire and Pauly 2005;Previero et al 2013;Ramires et al 2012), suggesting a geographic continuity in terms of popular names along the Brazilian coast, although the similarity between the fish names used in Tamandaré and Batoque is less than 40%. Different names are given to the same species even in a single community (and, as expected, between distinct communities), demonstrating the vocabulary richness of these societies.…”

Ethnotaxonomy of sharks from tropical waters of Brazil

“…Studies conducted with artisanal fishers along the Brazilian coast have demonstrated through fish nomenclature analyses and the types of relationships that different folk taxa represent to local communities by generic and specific terminologies [ 15 , 20 ]. In addition, folk classification has shown its potential to support scientific research especially when data is limited and to contribute to fisheries decision-making [ 15 , 20 , 21 ]. Nevertheless, the use of ethnotaxonomy to understand shark uses and promote their management is still incipient globally and in Brazil, possibly due to their relatively lower participation on global catches scenarios compared to target fishing groups [ 22 ].…”

Complementarity of fishers' traditional ecological knowledge and conventional science: Contributions to the management of groupers (Epinephelinae) fisheries around Mafia Island, Tanzania

“…To date, many researchers have recognized and used TEK for various purposes, such as studies on fisheries assessment (Neis et al, 1999;Bender et al, 2013), taxonomy of marine organisms (Berlin, 1992;Drew, 2005;Ramires et al, 2012), fish spawning aggregation (Robinson et al, 2004;Samoilys et al, 2006;Hamilton et al, 2011), and design of conservation and fisheries management measures (Friedlander et al, 2003;Drew, 2005;Baird, 2007;McClanahan et al, 2009;Masalu et al, 2010). Furthermore, several studies have focused on the differences between fishers' TEK and CSK, while recognizing the complementarity between these two knowledge systems in the management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems (García-Allut et al, 2007;Johannes and Neis, 2007;Jackson et al, 2014).…”