Pesca artesanal e áreas marinhas protegidas em Pernambuco : uma abordagem multidimensional e institucional

Abstract

The analysis of the use of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a tool (or possible tools) to guarantee the sustainability of artisanal fisheries was the general objective of this thesis in order to answer questions such as: are the protected areas effective for the sustainability of traditional fisheries? Are they compatible with the rules and institutions of artisanal fisheries? What are the rules currently governing artisanal fisheries? The concept whereby protected areas conserve biodiversity as well as creating mechanisms to protect the societies who live there and depend on its resources has been consolidated worldwide. Similarly, there has been a process of changes in the governance of fisheries, focusing not only on the management of fishing resources, but also on the users of such resources and on the context in which the activity is inserted in the face of external interference. The milestone of this change was the construction and adoption of the voluntary Guidelines in 2014 to ensure sustainable small-scale fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication, which assume directions aiming at the guarantee of human rights and social issues involving this activity: guarantee to territory, to health, education, safety as well as conflict resolution with other activities which go beyond the management of the fishing activity itself and its resources. The survey was then planned to check whether there were changes in the sustainability of traditional fisheries by creating MPAs. The selected analysis area was the community of Tamandaré due to the successful experiment in the closed area in the Coral Coast Environmental Protection Area. As there was no information for analysis before and after the creation of the area, a geographical comparison was made. The same analysis was carried out in a community considered without government management actions for artisanal fishing (Sirinhaém), but with fishing features allowing comparison. The analysed fishery systems are considered artisanal, being classified into three major groups: estuarine fishing, which has low social, economic and technological indicators; coastal fishing, with low cost but incidents with vulnerable ecosystems and endangered species; and the hand and line, lobster, fish traps and driftnet fishing systems, which demand higher capital and technology. This classification can be used for specific and regional policies due to the need for directing the management which currently classifies fishers into artisanal or industrial according to the vessel tonnage. Based on 99 interviews with fishers and managers in both communities, 54 fishery assessment indicators were established and evaluated considering the economic, social, institutional, ethical, technological and ecological dimensions. The fishing systems were grouped and analysed by using the Rapfish method. A canonical correlation analysis was also conducted in order to correlate the attributes of those groupings. The results showed no significant differences between the analysed communities, except for the institutional dimension. A striking feature of the local fishing is its being multi-species, which along with other informal activities is important for the continuity of artisanal fisheries and should be considered in public policies. Aiming to verify the challenges and fishers’ participation in the governance of those areas, the "Institutional Analysis and Development" (IAD) approach was also used. The socioeconomic characteristics of the two communities did not differ statistically, unlike the variables related to fishing, showing that despite the management differences, the communities have similar quality of life. Several institutions work in artisanal fisheries, the MPA Councils constituting action arenas. At the local level, the Municipal Environment Council had a strong influence on fisheries governance in the reported period when the participation of fishers was on the margin of those institutions due to power differences between the social representation sectors (notably tourism and environmental), or to the sector’s lack of interest (result of the paternalistic and clientelistic culture). Fishers have been currently more involved in decision-making, although efforts towards playing a more prominent role and the promotion of collective learning are necessary.