Community-based monitoring: facing the scarcity of data in a lagoon system in Southeast Brazil

Authors

  • Maurício Düppré de Abreu Universidade Federal Fluminense – Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Marinha e Ambientes Costeiros – Niterói (RJ), Brazil|Cardume Socioambiental & Comunicação – Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5714-4214
  • Magda Fernandes de Andrade-Tubino Universidade Federal Fluminense – Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Marinha e Ambientes Costeiros – Niterói (RJ), Brazil|Cardume Socioambiental & Comunicação – Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4670-5519
  • Júlia Benevenuti Soares Universidade Federal Fluminense – Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Marinha e Ambientes Costeiros – Niterói (RJ), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2396-8391
  • Cassiano Monteiro-Neto Universidade Federal Fluminense – Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Marinha e Ambientes Costeiros – Niterói (RJ), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9342-8089
  • Marcus Rodrigues da Costa Universidade Federal Fluminense – Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Marinha e Ambientes Costeiros – Niterói (RJ), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0737-1184
  • Rafael de Almeida Tubino Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro – Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de Biologia Animal – Seropédica (RJ), Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3175-4724

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20950/1678-2305/bip.2026.52.e934

Keywords:

Small-scale fisheries, Coastal lagoon, Participatory methods, Unreported data

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries are essential for livelihoods, food security, and income generation. However, information on fishing in lagoon environments in Brazil is scarce and historically neglected, leaving this sector on the margins of management actions and public policies. This paper describes the experience of applying participatory methods to reveal the fisheries and fishing activities carried out between 2019 and 2023 in the Piratininga-Itaipu Lagoon System, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. The work included three stages: exploratory phase and fishers’ engagement, assisted fisheries self-monitoring program, and fishers’ validation and results assessment. The results showed that 40 fishers and 25 boats actively participate in the fisheries. The total production landed in 2022 was 52.2 tons, corresponding to 16.5 kg/hectare/year and 1,305.8 kg/fisher/year. These results indicated the socio-economic importance of the activity, contributing to the conquest of the right to territory by the Piratininga lagoon fishers. The effectiveness of the participatory techniques used reinforces the importance of collaboration between fishers and researchers in consolidating information on the lagoon fisheries systems

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Published

2026-03-16

Issue

Vol. 52 (2026): BOLETIM DO INSTITUTO DE PESCA

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Scientific Article

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Copyright (c) 2026 Maurício Düppré de Abreu, Magda Fernandes de Andrade-Tubino, Júlia Benevenuti Soares, Cassiano Monteiro-Neto, Marcus Rodrigues da Costa, Rafael de Almeida Tubino

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