Principais Áreas de Pesca na Foz Amazônica: Uma Análise da Frota Artesanal do Ver-a-Peso

Abstract

Ver-a-Peso is the main public port in the Amazon region, receiving fish mainly from the artisanal fleet that operates in the rivers of central Amazônia as well as on the coast of the States of Pará and Amapá. The fleet that disembarks there operates in different fishing areas and each one of these has differentiated importance in terms of the quantity of fish caught and its composition. The annual total of catch per fishing area is the main indicator of its degree of importance. The landings data referring to fishing locations and total catch were obtained by the project Fishery Statistics in Belém and Abaetetuba through interviews with fishermen in the Belém municipal port in the years 2001 and 2002. The 799 localities obtained during the interviews were identified and classified into fishing areas, divided into 3 large regions: 1- Amazon River and its tributaries; 2- Tocantins River and 3- Foz and Coast. It was verified that approximately 21,000 t of fish were landed at the port of Ver-a-Peso in the years 2001 and 2002, and it was possible to identify the origin of 6,582 t. The Marajó Bay, the Salgado Paraense region and the mouth of the Amazon were the main fishing areas that contributed to this total. The fishery resources in the Amazon have traditionally been underestimated in terms of importance by governmental activities since the relative value of the fishing areas is not well known.