Biological, technical and socioeconomic aspects of the fishing activity in a Brazilian estuary

Technical, biological and socioeconomic factors act as obstacles in the development of fishing activity in the Guaratuba Bay, southern Brazil. Amongst the difficulties registered, the following stand out: there was little variety of fishing gear; the purchasing power of the fishermen was low; there was a lack of regularity in the presence of the target species in the estuary; legislation restricted the use of certain gear at particular times; the size of the individual fish was small when compared to those from the continental shelf. Aquaculture could offer an alternative to the revenue of the fishermen, but cultural tradition and the lack of financial resources make it difficult to introduce aquaculture as an activity for the fishermen. The pessimism encountered in the community indicates that the future of artisanal fishing in this estuary is uncertain.