Caça e comércio ilegal de animais silvestres no Rio Grande do Norte, Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The exploitation of wildlife resources through hunting and legal and illegal trade is a reality in many parts of the world. This study is in addition to the recent research on hunting activities in Brazil and, in particular, in the Northeast region, based on an ethnozoological approach with the inhabitants of the semi-arid region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It is worth pointing out that many of the social actors involved in the social structure of the trafficking of wild animals are in a situation of social vulnerability, and, thus, are easily convinced to participate in the system because, in addition to hunting for food, a complementary source of income for the domestic economy. The study was carried out in areas of caatinga, a rural community in the municipality of Riachuelo and two urban communities, one in the municipality of Bento Fernandes and the other in the municipality of Pedra Preta, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast of Brazil. Brazil. Interviews were conducted with semi-structured questionnaires with local hunters and, in parallel, 32 hunters were monitored during 15 months, between September 2016 and March 2018, in order to monitor hunting days. Data on the entry and exit of wild animals between 2005 and 2016 were also obtained at the Wild Animals Triage Center (CETAS/RN). Statistical, ecological and geoprocessing analyzes were performed with the data collected. In general, it was verified that the majority of the animals sent to CETAS/RN were birds, predominantly of local origin, but with representatives of all the Brazilian regions, evidencing a national traffic of the wild fauna. It was also found that release was the main destination of the animals seized in inspection actions. However, it was possible to observe that there is an overlap between the hunting and release areas of fauna and that hunting activities are still a strong reality in the areas studied. Thus, despite the fact that fauna release actions are aimed at returning specimens to nature, hunting pressure is still significant in these areas, evidencing that these actions are not to reach the proposed objectives. The dynamics of illegal trade in wild animals in the region were also observed, most of which were the direct sale of hunting products to final consumers. The data suggest that the promotion of fishing activity could be an alternative to obtain animal protein, thus reducing the impact of hunting activities on local wildlife. Finally, studies that investigate the relationships between hunting and release areas of wild fauna are still incipient in the caatinga, deserving more attention by the research centers and the public agencies of control and management of the fauna.