Characterization of the fishing activity in Vila do Conde (Barcarena, State of Pará), Amazon estuary

• Main Authors: Alexsandra Câmara Paz, Flavia Lucena Frédou, Thierry Frédou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi 2011-08-01
• Series: Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Ciências Humanas
• Subjects: Fishing; Vila do Conde; Barcarena; Ichthyofauna
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1981-81222011000200004&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt

Vila do Conde is an important industrial complex in the south of the Marajó Bay. Despite the important fishery activity and the vulnerability in terms of environmental impacts, no relevant scientific study on fishery and ichthyofauna has been carried out in the area. This study aimed to describe the fishing activity by monitoring commercial landings of the main site (Praia do Conde) of the region between December 2005 and November 2006. The relative abundance index, catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE in kg/fishing trip), was used to identify the harvest season, species and fleet most relevant in the region. Forty-three boats were monitored, mainly small wooden boats. The main fishing gear was the long-line. The main local species were Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii (dourada catfish), Plagioscion squamosissimus (South American silver croaker), Pellona flavipinnis (yellowfin river pellona), P. castelnaeana (Amazon pellona) e B. filamentosum (filhote). Fleets caught an average of 19 kg/trip. Motorised boats were more productive than non-motorised. Two maximum harvest periods were observed: in January and September/October. The gross revenue of the fishery was over R$ 100,000.00. Wooden small boats contributed to 36% of the total catch.