Comparison of professional artisanal fishing and recreational fishing in the pantanal wetlands of Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract

In this study, a comparison was made of the professional-artisanal and recreational fishing modalities in the Pantanal wetlands of the region of Cáceres, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The attributes compared were: fishing spot and fishing gear employed, type of boat, time spent on the activity, and number of fishermen on each fishing trip. The fishing yield was also studied, considering the number of species, of individuals, and the biomass of each captured species. In addition, an analysis was made of the length frequency distribution of the captured species. The fishing modalities showed different characteristics for all the variables analyzed. Recreational fishing landed a larger quantity of fish than professional fishing, but the latter presented a statistically higher catch per unit effort (CPUE). An analysis of the total catch indicated that professional fishermen caught individuals of more varied sizes. The analysis of catch per species indicated a difference in the length of landed individuals only for pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, with professional fishermen catching smaller individuals than recreational fishermen.