Fishers’ knowledge on a large floodplain river in South America. Contributions for sustainable management of inland fisheries

This study presents a comparison between fishers’ knowledge and fiscal records about the structure of inland fisheries in the Paraná River (Argentina). First of all, we characterized the fishing population according to the main demographic and economic indicators, identifying two different fishing a...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rabuffetti, Ana Pia, Espínola, Luis Alberto, Amsler, Pablo, Ferreira, Patricio, Abrial, Elie, Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria, Amsler, Mario Luis
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/203008
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/203008
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:ARGENTINA
ARTISANAL FISHERIES
COMMERCIAL CATCHES
ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO FISHERIES
FISHERS’ ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
FISHING POPULATION
PARANÁ RIVER
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:This study presents a comparison between fishers’ knowledge and fiscal records about the structure of inland fisheries in the Paraná River (Argentina). First of all, we characterized the fishing population according to the main demographic and economic indicators, identifying two different fishing areas: the northern and southern sections in the lower La Plata basin. Secondly, we carried out a comparative analysis of fiscal fishery records (from two commercial sets: 1930–1984 and 2011–2019) and local fishers’ knowledge on inland commercial fisheries (frequency of occurrence and abundance). Finally, we contrasted current fishing regulations (allowed meshes and boats, fishing prohibitions, exports) to fishers’ effective practices. The study area included 52 sites located along the floodplain of the middle and lower sections of the Paraná River, in the province of Santa Fe. Socioeconomic analyses identified two different groups of fishers throughout the river corridor. Results showed that fishers have detailed knowledge on nomenclature, ecology, reproductive strategy, habitat distribution, and usefulness of commercial fish species. By contrasting fishers’ knowledge with fiscal records, we found similar and complementary information about the changes in abundance and frequency of occurrence in fisheries. These results highlight the need of including local knowledge as an outstanding source of information for well-planned management of fishing programs and sustainable policies. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]