Browsing by Author "Ejarque, Maria Compte"
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- Ecological and socioeconomic aspects of subsistence fisheries in the Central Africa: The case study of "peixinho" fishery of São Tomé and PríncipePublication . Ejarque, Maria Compte; Baptista, Vânia; Albo Puigserver, MartaThe riparian goby-fry fishery of São Tomé and Príncipe, or “peixinho” fishery, is part of the culture of the fishing communities located next to the water courses from the archipelago. The fishery consists on the capture of amphidromous gobiid post-larvae species, Sicydium brevifile, Sicydium bustamantei, Awaous bustamantei and Awaous lateristiga, during their up-stream migration. This study attempts to describe the fishery and its role in their communities, through the local ecological knowledge (LEK) from fishers gathered throughout semi-structured interviews and cross-checked with the fishing communities and the fishery expert using a member-checking approach. The majority of the fishers are middle-aged women who use nylon nets, traditional traps called "tchanga", mosquito nets and cloth nets. The choice of fishing gear and tactics varies geographically and depending on the age. Correlation between rainy season and lunar phases, specifically the new moon and last quarter phases, with higher catches was indicated by the fishers. However, this association could not be completely confirmed based on the catch per unit effort (CPUE) collected in the interviews. Although fishers consider the fishing activity as commercial, most do not sell the entire catch, revealing that the fishery still has a subsistence component due to its importance for the livelihood and food security of the fishing communities, who are aware of the detriment of the fishery, but remain hesitant of management measures. This study outlines for the first time the socio-ecological system of the “peixinho” fishery, in order to comprehend the ecosystem services in which fishing communities depend on and to promote participatory approaches.