Strategies for bycatch reduction at small-scale shrimp trawl fishing: perspectives for fisheries management

Abstract

Bycatch reduction devices (BRD) are technical modifications installed in trawl nets in order to avoid or to reduce unwanted fishing mortality. We examined the perspectives of use of BRD on the Southern Brazilian artisanal trawl fishery at three levels. Firstly, we briefly described Brazilian Fisheries Management (BFM) from the past 50 years. Secondly, we reviewed concepts in Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) and Adaptive Co-Management (ACM) approach. Finally, we summarized some of the findings from experiments with the use of BRD on a small-scale fishing boat at the coast of Paraná, based on three criteria from EAF and ACM (potential for participatory approach, knowledge bridging and adaptive management). We identified four institutional cycles, which showed limited conditions to the adoption of new fisheries management approaches, especially in terms of the adoption of BRD besides a technical modification. However, from a wider fisheries management perspective, it is important to experience BRDs in different scenarios, through comprehension of dynamics of fishing systems, participation of fishers, use of participatory approaches on research a management, engagement of decision makers, and the continued communication between experiments and fisheries management arenas.