Socioeconomic and ethnoecological aspects of Sport Fishing practiced in Vila Barra do Una, Peruíbe/SP Larissa Florêncio da Silva, Tiago Ribeiro de Souza de Souza, Renata Molitzas, Walter Barrella, Milena Ramires

Abstract

Sport fishing is an activity with great socioeconomic importance and today, one of the most practiced sports and leisure activities in Brazil. However, it is little known and studied, that is, there is little information capable of guiding public policies for the fishing sector. This work aimed to characterize the sport fishing practiced in the Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve, Peruíbe/ SP, in relation to the profile and socioeconomic situation of the practitioners, knowledge about methods, fishing equipment, exploited species, as well as, assess practitioners’ knowledge of current legislation for sport fishing. 88 sport fishermen were interviewed, 88.6% of whom were male and with an average age of 41.7 years. The time for each fishing trip varies from 1 to 12 hours and the main services contracted are food, accommodation, provision of bait and fishing guides. The main fishing method is using a rod with a reel or reel and the main bait, shrimp, acquired in the community itself. The main species sought after by sport fishermen is sea bass (Centropomus spp) and the fishermen interviewed demonstrated knowledge associated with this species, such as the time and place of greatest capture, the best phases of the moon and the techniques used to capture these species. . Regarding fishing legislation, 76.1% of respondents do not know the catch quota established for coastal fish, 64.8% are unaware of the minimum sizes allowed for capturing the main species targeted by sport fishing, 55.7% are unaware of the species prohibited for capture and 73.9% of respondents are also unaware of the established closed seasons. Thus, the results of this research allow us to conclude that sport fishing is one of the characteristics of tourism in the region, which definitely represents an important activity for the caiçara community of Vila Barra do Una. Studies that characterize fishermen and fishing activities are fundamental tools for creating management plans for fishing resources, especially in places where information about sport fishing is scarce, as is the case on the south coast of São Paulo. Public policies are needed to improve infrastructure and conserve ecosystems, as well as educational actions that guide and encourage residents and tourists to conserve the site and the resources explored.