A PESCA ESPORTIVA SUBAQUÁTICA E SEUS IMPACTOS EM ESTOQUES PESQUEIROS
Recreational fishing, harpoon, conservation
Recreational fishing has negative consequences for fish populations and ecosystems. The objective of this work is to verify if there is variation in the catch of species of ichthyofauna by submarine fishermen and their classification, as well as their relation in the trophic chain and contribution to a possible ecological imbalance. Another objective is to analyze if the fishermen have a perception about the fishing, the aspects of conservation and regulation of the activity. An online questionnaire was applied through a free googleforms platform for underwater fishermen. Of the 214 questionnaires answered, the profile of the fisherman as a male, between 36 and 52 years of age, had a higher level of schooling, income between 2 and 5 minimum wages, and did not depend on this fishery to supplement family income. Fishermen consider that underwater fishing has no impact on fish populations, however the results have shown a decrease in the size of fish caught over time. Regarding the trophic categories, the results showed that the carnivorous fish present a greater abundance of catch by the underwater sport fishing in the three analyzed regions, this pattern matches the selectivity of the type of fishing. The Northeast showed more species than the other regions, and it can be inferred that it is a region with less areas forbidden for fishing. Marine protection areas are important tools for the maintenance of marine ecosystems. Therefore the results are valuable for the decision-making processes by coastal ecosystem management, essential for the elaboration of management plans, regulation of the activity contributions to minimize the damages to local aquatic diversity, contemplating underwater fishing.