662
These beaches are shallow areas protected by sand banks, with maximum depth of
1.5 m during spring tides (Lucena et al. 2013). In the early 1990s, fishing with weirs
was responsible for 11.2% of the total production of Pernambuco. The production
increased until 1996, when 268.3 tons were registered. This figure was maintained
around 234 tons in the three following years. From 1999 began a decreasing trend
until 2004, when a production of 105 tonnes was recorded. Despite the increased
production in 2006 (159 tons), the main factor that reduced this activity was the
Environmental Crimes Law of 1998, which prohibited the cutting and use of the
mangrove wood rods necessary to build the weirs. Therefore, fishers needed to
nearly stop using this gear because alternative woods were more expensive than the
product. The result was that fishing weirs lost importance when compared to other
fishing activities.
Between 1999 and 2006 the number of canoes operating at the harvest at fishing
weirs, decreased 65.6%, from 128 to 44 in 2004. In the two last years (2005 and
2006), 73 canoes were registered as operating at the weirs, however, this increase
did not recover the production levels observed in the early 1990s (IBAMA 2005,
2006, 2007; Lucena et al. 2013). In 2006, weirs production represented only 1.14%
of the total production of Pernambuco (IBAMA 2007; Lucena et al. 2013).
Fisheries at the Goiana Estuary are artisanal. Gillnet with small mesh size
(<60 mm) is the most common gear (Fig. 20.19a, b), although others as trap barriers
(seasonally), longline, lobster trap (Fig. 20.19d), spear diving, hook and line are
also used (Table 20.2) (Guebert-Bartholo et al. 2011). Only men capture fish.
Techniques include diving/spear in reef areas for fishes; otter trawl nets in coastal
area for prawns; and cast nets and gill nets in the estuarine and coastal areas for fish
and prawns captures (Barletta and Costa 2009).
Fishers from Goiana Estuary are distributed in communities at Goaina (Baldo do
Rio, São Lourenço and Carne de Vaca), Caaporã and Pitimbu (Acaú) cities (Barletta
and Costa 2009; Silveira et al. 2013). Fishers from Baldo do Rio and Caaporã move
seaward in small wooden canoes, called “caícos” (Fig. 20.20b), aiming at fishing
estuarine species with a rectangular trap net deployed at the entrance of mangrove
tidal creeks, or use bottom gill nets (“caçoeira”) to capture demersal fishes crossing
the main channel (Guebert-Bartholo et al. 2011; Silveira et al. 2013). These communities are also involved in the capture of the uça-crab, using small canoes to
reach the mangrove flooded forest (Barletta and Costa 2009; Silveira et al. 2013).
The main landing port at the middle reaches of the estuary is the Gongaçari community. Shrimp fishing with trap and fyke nets was once important for these two
communities. Currently, estuarine shrimps are less abundant and their captures are
restricted to beaches and other coastal areas using seine nets (Silveira et al. 2013).
São Lourenço is the municipality closest to the estuarine mouth, on the margins of
Megaó River, a tidal creek that drains to Goiana Estuary (Silveira et al. 2013). The
community there is the poorest, with a high proportion of crab, oyster and mussel
pickers among its population. Carne de Vaca (Pernambuco) and Acaú (Paraiba) are
located at the mouth of the Goiana Estuary, on estuarine beaches (Barletta and Costa
2009; Silveira et al. 2013). Mussels, crabs, shrimps, lobsters and finfish exploitation
is common for these both fishing communities.
M. Barletta et al.
These beaches are shallow areas protected by sand banks, with maximum depth of
1.5 m during spring tides (Lucena et al. 2013). In the early 1990s, fishing with weirs
was responsible for 11.2% of the total production of Pernambuco. The production
increased until 1996, when 268.3 tons were registered. This figure was maintained
around 234 tons in the three following years. From 1999 began a decreasing trend
until 2004, when a production of 105 tonnes was recorded. Despite the increased
production in 2006 (159 tons), the main factor that reduced this activity was the
Environmental Crimes Law of 1998, which prohibited the cutting and use of the
mangrove wood rods necessary to build the weirs. Therefore, fishers needed to
nearly stop using this gear because alternative woods were more expensive than the
product. The result was that fishing weirs lost importance when compared to other
fishing activities.
Between 1999 and 2006 the number of canoes operating at the harvest at fishing
weirs, decreased 65.6%, from 128 to 44 in 2004. In the two last years (2005 and
2006), 73 canoes were registered as operating at the weirs, however, this increase
did not recover the production levels observed in the early 1990s (IBAMA 2005,
2006, 2007; Lucena et al. 2013). In 2006, weirs production represented only 1.14%
of the total production of Pernambuco (IBAMA 2007; Lucena et al. 2013).
Fisheries at the Goiana Estuary are artisanal. Gillnet with small mesh size
(<60 mm) is the most common gear (Fig. 20.19a, b), although others as trap barriers
(seasonally), longline, lobster trap (Fig. 20.19d), spear diving, hook and line are
also used (Table 20.2) (Guebert-Bartholo et al. 2011). Only men capture fish.
Techniques include diving/spear in reef areas for fishes; otter trawl nets in coastal
area for prawns; and cast nets and gill nets in the estuarine and coastal areas for fish
and prawns captures (Barletta and Costa 2009).
Fishers from Goiana Estuary are distributed in communities at Goaina (Baldo do
Rio, São Lourenço and Carne de Vaca), Caaporã and Pitimbu (Acaú) cities (Barletta
and Costa 2009; Silveira et al. 2013). Fishers from Baldo do Rio and Caaporã move
seaward in small wooden canoes, called “caícos” (Fig. 20.20b), aiming at fishing
estuarine species with a rectangular trap net deployed at the entrance of mangrove
tidal creeks, or use bottom gill nets (“caçoeira”) to capture demersal fishes crossing
the main channel (Guebert-Bartholo et al. 2011; Silveira et al. 2013). These communities are also involved in the capture of the uça-crab, using small canoes to
reach the mangrove flooded forest (Barletta and Costa 2009; Silveira et al. 2013).
The main landing port at the middle reaches of the estuary is the Gongaçari community. Shrimp fishing with trap and fyke nets was once important for these two
communities. Currently, estuarine shrimps are less abundant and their captures are
restricted to beaches and other coastal areas using seine nets (Silveira et al. 2013).
São Lourenço is the municipality closest to the estuarine mouth, on the margins of
Megaó River, a tidal creek that drains to Goiana Estuary (Silveira et al. 2013). The
community there is the poorest, with a high proportion of crab, oyster and mussel
pickers among its population. Carne de Vaca (Pernambuco) and Acaú (Paraiba) are
located at the mouth of the Goiana Estuary, on estuarine beaches (Barletta and Costa
2009; Silveira et al. 2013). Mussels, crabs, shrimps, lobsters and finfish exploitation
is common for these both fishing communities.
M. Barletta et al.