Technological, social, economic and ecological characterization of the fishing activity in Passo de Torres, Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Abstract

The analysis of the fisheries in Passo de Torres was based on interviews and landings carried out between October 2007 and December 2009. The city has a fuel supply station, an ice factory, seven landing piers and three small shipyards. The fleet comprises 35 vessels (8-20 m, 40 - 360 HP) that fish between Santa Marta and Rio Grande (28°S-32°S) and provide fish to local market and processing industries in Santa Catarina state. This fleet fish mainly with driftnets, but also with trawls and bottom longline. The main species in the catches were Micropogonias furnieri, Cynoscion guatucupa, Urophycis brasiliensis, Pomatomus saltatrix, Sphyrna sp., Isurus oxyrinchus, Prionace glauca, Paralonchurus brasiliensis, Pleoticus muelleri, Artemesia longinaris and Epinephelus marginatus. Incidental catches of sea turtles, sea birds and marine mammals were reported, therefore, mitigation mechanisms must be found. Work relations among ship owners, masters and deck fishermen were based on verbal agreements that fix share in total income distribution. Most fishermen were born in the city and had low schooling and training. Fishing involved 6% of the workforce and yielded about R$ 8,039,000.00 in 2008, second only to farming. The landings were estimated in 3,512 ton, 2.5% of the total in Santa Catarina state. In a scenario of decreasing resources, Passo de Torres could have some competitive advantages not only because it is closer to markets than Rio Grande and to fishing grounds than Laguna and Itajaí­­.