Rethinking fisheries management: the role of local ecological knowledge in stimulating community participation
management; participation; knowledge; artisanal fishing; capture
Co-management is a system of resource governance characterized by the participation of local stakeholders in decision-making processes. Several factors affect resource users participation in management, such as material assets, education, active involvement in management, and participation in community associations. A case study was conducted based on the reconstruction of past fishing catches from fishermen's memories, in order to discuss the potentials and limitations of using scientific knowledge and local ecological knowledge. This chapter aims to understand if the type of knowledge (traditional or scientific) influences the fishermen's participation in the co-management process. It is expected that fishermen prefer the use of their own knowledge, associated or not with scientific knowledge, rather than the exclusive use of scientific knowledge. The fishery reconstruction was developed using data from four fisheries, three located in the northeast (Rio Grande do Norte) and focused on the capture of Lutjanus analis (cioba), Coryphaena hippurus (dourado), and Opisthonema oglinum (sardinha), and one located in the southeast (Rio de Janeiro), focused on the capture of Mugil liza (tainha). A total of 131 interviews were conducted in the Ponta do Tubarão State Sustainable Development Reserve (RDSEPT/RN) and 74 in Araruama (RJ) using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to estimate the catch of the species for the last five decades and to assess the level of fishermen's participation in fisheries management. The decline in the average catch of dolphinfish and sardine between 1980 and 2020 was observed, as well as in the total catch of mullet between 1970 and 2020. In addition, most of the fishermen interviewed expressed that they prefer management decision making to be based on a combination of scientific knowledge and local ecological knowledge. The analysis of the results of this case study makes it possible to identify the main benefits and limitations of using scientific knowledge and local ecological knowledge in the management process.