Fishing fleet in the coastal zone of the state of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The fishing activity in the state of Rio de Janeiro is a reflex of the fleet formed, mostly, by vessels poorly sized and older. Taking into account the lack of knowledge about the state of the coastal fleet of Rio de Janeiro, the present study aimed to characterize the vessels; identify sub-fleets presents; describe and compare these fleets and seek to understand the role of environmental, socioeconomic and cultural characteristics on the spatial arrangement of the vessels. For the study, the structural characteristics of the vessels were collected along the coastal physiographic compartments of Rio de Janeiro, composing a total of 1,879 vessels, described and analyzed the role of the environment on the spatial distribution and characterization. Data analysis showed that, although environmental characteristics have formed distinct groups among physiographic compartments, these did not correspond to differences between fleets, which suggest that the environment is not the sole determinant of the type of vessel. Other factors that affect are historical and socioeconomic aspects. The absence of policies to stimulate the construction and modernization of vessels allows that the Rio de Janeiro’s fleet is currently described as old and obsolete, when compared to other coastal fleets in the Southeast and South of Brazil.