Study of the seabob shrimp fishery, in the north coast of São Paulo State, southern Brazil

Abstract

The seabob shrimp, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, is an important fishing resource off northern São Paulo State coast, as well as other Brazilian states and elsewhere in the world. The seabob shrimp fishery presents high economic and social importance, allowing for generation of direct and indirect jobs. The analysis of the physical characteristics of vessels in this fishery (e. g.: vessel length, gross tonnage and engine power) showed the presence of three distinct groups of vessels (G1, G2 and G3). G1 included the largest vessels with the most powerful engines. In contrast, G3 had the smallest gross tonnage vessels. Such groups differ in terms of shrimp catches, CPUE, fishing days and use of other species. Landings of these groups showed fidelity to particular landing sites. The results of the present study show that the management of the seabob shrimp fishery should take into account regional differences related to the heterogeneity of the fleet, including their mobility and fidelity to the landing sites.