About 90% of the Brazilian fishery is characterized as artisanal, with the remaining 10% industrial in scale. On some vessels, very simple technology is used, while others have modern, advanced electronics and techniques for fish-finding and navigation. There is increasing concern about the need for conservation of fishery resources, as well as issues such as overfishing and the capture of small fish, sea turtles and marine mammals in fishing gear.
Traditional fishing activity has been concentrated over the continental shelf. There is intense pressure on traditionally exploited species such as sardines and shrimp. Consequently, recent attention is shifting more toward offshore, deepwater, and large pelagic fisheries such as tuna pole-and-line and gillnetting for sharks.
Major trends include increasing access to global markets and growing demand for higher quality products. This may feed a tendency to reduce fleets of older vessels, and replace them with more modern and efficient craft.
Among the top research priorities are surveying living marine resources, and the development of new and more selective fishing technologies.
The Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Education and Culture are cooperating on fisheries research programs. Multidisciplinary teams of researchers, including biologists, fishery engineers, oceanographers, physicists and others from diverse backgrounds participate in teams to execute these programs. Various Governmental organizations, universities and research institutes participate.
Such research programs have produced reports on topics such as minimum mesh size, fishing seasons, and fleet control. Such reports are produced by the relevant Governmental organization or research institute, or they appear in scientific journals. There are no fishing industry trade journals. The fishing industry does not usually sponsor projects, but in some cases provides logistical support.
Hindrances to research in fishing technology include shortages of funding, specialised staff, laboratories and research centers dedicated to fishing technology.
The Government is supporting a Survey of the Living Resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (REVIZEE). This is an interdisciplinary program involving many of the major Governmental agencies and private organizations involved in fisheries research. Within this Programme are projects dealing with a variety of oceanographic disciplines including physics, chemistry, ecology, remote sensing, fish biology, population dynamics and fishing technology. Moreover, specific projects are being conducted in each of the four regions encompassed by the REVIZEE (Northern, Northeastern, Central and Southern).
In the Northern Region, fishery resources are being surveyed with bottom and midwater trawls, bottom and surface longlines.
In the Northeastern Region, one REVIZEE project consists of a survey for pelagic resources with pelagic longlines. Three small to mid-sized vessels and approximately 12 staff people are involved. The project is sponsored by the Government with cooperation from Federal Universities and logistical support provided by a local fishing company. The transfer of technology developed in this project has been implemented and it is expected to continue through 1999. The estimated three-year cost for this project is reported as US$ 200 000.
A second Northeastern REVIZEE project aims to reduce the bycatch in shrimp trawls by using excluder devices. This project started in 1994. It is being conducted with small vessels in Pernambuco State in cooperation with the Fishing Extension Centre of the Northeast (CEPENE/IBAMA) and the commercial fleet. There are plans to transfer the results to the commercial sector. The estimated 1996 cost for this project is reported as US$ 34 000.
A third Northeastern REVIZEE project involves fishing for tuna and other species with Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). Six researchers are involved in setting FADs, trial fishing, and dissemination of the results to fishing communities. This project began in 1992. The estimated annual cost is reported as US$ 24 000. Artisanal fishermen help with maintenance of the FADs.
In the Central Region, research has focused on physical oceanography, geology and chemistry. Some experimental longline fishing has been done in areas where trawling is not possible.
In the Southern Region two research vessels are working on REVIZEE projects. Studies include surveys of pelagic and demersal resources as well as physical oceanography, chemistry and geology.
The survey of pelagic resources in this region involves echointegration as well as midwater trawling. For 1996-99, ten researchers have been allocated and a total cost of US$ 800 000 is envisioned. Both winter and summer cruises are planned. There are plans to run transects with a 36 m, 720 HP vessel from the 100 m depth curve to the edge of the EEZ.
Also in the Southern Region, a project is planned for exploratory fishing with bottom longlines (vertical) and traps. Transects between 100 m and 600 m depths will be searched for target species including fish and crustaceans.
A third REVIZEE project in the south involves exploratory fishing with bottom trawls between the 100 m curve and the edge of the continental shelf. Eight researchers and several assistants from different institutions will participate. The total cost for the two-year project is estimated as US$ 120 000.
Brazil harbours strong interest in, and potential for, international cooperation. Areas for such cooperation include the following:
- training of fishing masters in new technology
- selective fishing and optimal use of fishery resources
- training in monitoring, control and surveillance
- safety and working conditions for fishermen
- overcoming sociocultural and educational barriers to technical change
