THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL

 GENERAL ECONOMIC DATA

 FISHERIES DATA

Commodity balance (2000):

STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY

General aspects

Brazil is characterized for being a coastal country with a large continental shelf, an extensive maritime coast on the Atlantic Ocean, great hydrographic basins and a great quantity of lakes and weirs. Fishing occurs both in an industrial scale and in a small scale and represents an important source for nourishing and income. The country counts on a significant structure of industrial extraction and processing of marine plants under the concept HACCP.

The Brazilian fishing policy has priority on (i) long distance fisheries development with facilities for renting foreign fishing vessels, through governmental measures and (ii) the development of marine and continental waters fish farming which take advantage of the favourable conditions offered by the country.

The socio-economic characteristics of the Brazilian fisheries are very diversified, either due to the great geographic dimension of the coast or to the enormous hydrographic basins , or even to the culture that influenced fisheries in the different geographical regions.

Marine fisheries

The types and abundances of the marine resources are mainly determined by the physical, oceanographic and climatic characteristics of the different regions of the Brazilian coast. A potential yield of 1 400 - 1 700 thousand tons can be estimated for the zone up to 200 meters deep, from environmental data and the most recent estimates of the marine fisheries resources. There are productivity and in potentiality differences between the different coastal regions, as follows :

North Region 05ºN - 02ºN

The abundance of fishes and crustaceans in the North region benefitiates of the great nutrients richness of river Amazonas. Besides that, it is benefitiated by the extension of the continental shelf with a great proportion of regular bottom. A potential catch between 385 thousand and 485 thousand tons per year is estimated for this region, being 235 thousand tons of pelagic species, and between 150 and 240 thousand tons of demersal species.

Northeast Region 02ºN - 23ºS

Despite the vast coastal extension, this region is less favoured in terms of production, because of the hot and salted waters of the Brazilian and South Equator currents, associated with the small width of the continental shelf. A potential catch of 200 - 275 thousand tons a year is estimated for this region, being 100 thousand of pelagic species and around 100 and 175 thousand tons of demersal species.

Southeast Region 23º S - 29º S

There is a significant primary productivity between Cabo Frio and Ilha Grande (Rio de Janeiro), caused by seasonal upwellings, which favours this the disponibility of the fisheries resources in this region. A potential production of 265 - 290 thousand tons per year is estimated, being 195 thousand tons of pelagic species and between 70 and 95 thousand tons of demersal species.

South Region 29º S - 34º S

This region is favoured by the convergence of waters of Malvinas (Falkland) and Brazil currents which extends to north up to the State of Santa Catarina. The estimated fisheries potential for this region is about 550 - 660 thousand tons per year, 370 thousand of which are pelagic species, being the amount of demersal species between 180 and 290 thousand tons.

The main species of the above mentioned stocks, are: Sardines "Sardinha verdadeira" (30 000 t); (Sardinella Braziliensis); "Corvinas" Macropogonias furnieri (28 800 t); "Snapers" (Pargos) "Lutjanidae" (15 000 t); Croakers (Pescadas) "Scianidae" (27 500 t); Lobsters (Lagostas) "Panulirus argus, Panulirus paevicauda" (6 200 t); Shrimps (Camarones) "Penaeidae" (22 000 t), Tunas (atunes) "Scombridae, Thunnus" (8 000 t), Xiphopenaeus (14 200 t) and Skipjack tuna (23 200 t).

The marine fisheries fleet is divided in three categories: Coastal, Long Distance and Artisanal. The coastal industrial fleet has 1630 vessels with enough autonomy to operate in distant zones, exploiting the fisheries resources. It has mechanization on board for the operation of the fishing gears, motor propulsion, always with diesel engines and with a power up to 400 HP, using electronic equipment for navigation and detection. The hull can be made of wood or steel.

The oceanic modality of the industrial fishing is not yet very significant in Brazil, and involves 100 vessels. At the present, it has 60 foreign rented vessels of great autonomy, able to operate in all the EEZ, including the further oceanic areas; they can even industrialize the catches on board, and have very sophisticated equipments for navigation and detection of shoals of fish. This type of fishery should increase until it occupies completely the country's EEZ.

The artisanal fleet is composed by 23 thousand vessels of small and medium capacity, with motor propulsion and do not use very diversified fishing gears. They are usually made of wood and their technology is only able to produce small catches, operating near the coast.

Continental fisheries

The continental fishing activity is mainly artisanal and takes place in the hydrographic basins of rivers Amazonas, São Francisco, Araguaia-Tocantins, Paraná, Southeast and Northeast and in the lakes and weirs in a total estimated area of 8 million squared kilometers, with a potential of about 600 thousand tons per year.

The main species caught are: "Curimatã" (Prochilodus spp.) "Piramutaba" (Brachiplastitoma flavicans), "Bagres" (Pimelodidae), "Surubin" (Pseudoplastitoma spp.), "Tilapia" (Cichlidae), "Tucunaré" (Cicla spp.), "Traíra" (Hoplias spp.), "Tambaqui" (Colossoma macropomun) and "Pacu" (Metynns spp.).

The most intensive activity occurs in the Amazonas basin, characterized by the combined objective of feeding the family and the fishing operations with commercial purposes, which are, in general, a seasonal alternative for agriculture.

An industrial fishery is developed in the Amazonic basin, directed to the exploitation of big migrating "bagres" (Piramutaba, Dourada ), using trawlers with a length from 18 to 24 meters, made of steel, operating in pairs and with an annual production of about 27000, tons.

Aquaculture

The Brazilian aquaculture is represented by three great groups of species: fishes, crustaceans and molluscs. Aquaculture is, undoubtably, the most important sector, involving an exploited area of about 40 thousand hectars, being the most important species, "Tilapias" (Oreochromis spp.), common and chinese carps (C. carpio, C. idello, Nobilis and H. molitrix), "Pacu" (Piaractus mesapotamicus) and "Tambaqui" (Colossama macropomum). In 1997, it was also started the cultivation of "Surubin", for which reproduction and commercial production technology is well known. This fish will contribute to improve the international competition of this sector, due to its exceptional gastronomic quality. The entire production of aquaculture is estimated in about 180 thousand tons a year, in 2000, having grown about 40 percent a year more recently.

The shrimp culture is represented by two different sectors: the culture of marine shrimps, with an area of 6500 hectars and a production of about 25 000 tons in 2000, presenting lately great annual increases, due to the improvement of technological progress, and the utilization of the species Litopeaneus vannamei, which is already being cultivated in 95 percent of the shrimp farms; and the culture of fresh water shrimps which is nowadays restricted to very few farms and with a total area of about 200 hectars and an annual production of 500 tons. Shrimp contribution to exports has grown from 2 624 ton in 1998 to 13 228 tons in 2000, being 75 percent of this amount from aquaculture. In 2000, shrimp represented 55 percent in terms of value of brazilian fisheries’ exports.

The production of molluscs in Brazil, despite the vaste and diversified natural resources for more than 8400 Km (longitude), is mostly restricted to the state os Santa Catarina, which is being pointed out for its production of sea mussels, with evident signs of increase, having produced 11 500 tons in 2000, which classifies it as the greatest sea mussels producer in Latin America. The species cultivated is Perna perna. Oysters are also being produced, with an yield of 1 300 000 dozens in 2000. The species under culture are Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea rhizophorae.

Utilization of the catch

The catches of the different fleets as well as the fish farming production is destinated to fresh consumption in the domestic market and a part of it is processed for the domestic market and mainly to the external market.

The landings of the artisanal fleet mainly supply the internal market for direct consumption, fresh or refrigerated.

The production of the coastal industrial fleet supplies mainly with raw materials, the canning, refrigerating and freezing industries, which produce different types of fillets and headless fish for exportation and, in smaller quantities, for the internal market.

The production of the long distance industrial fleet is for fresh, refrigerated and frozen exportation, and for the internal market in smaller quantities.

The production of fish farming is commercialized in different ways, and there is not a systematic control of its destination. Many producers sell the fish at the moment of the capture.

The processing of freshwater fish is limited, and consists of evisceration for sale, smoked and fillets. In shrimp production, there are several processing industries of cultivated shrimps, including those for exportation.

In the production of molluscs, trading is made in a similar way than the one used for fishes, and the only way of processing is cooking.

State of the industry

The industrial fishing park is constituted by 300 enterprises which work mainly with the resources, having a greater production or a greater value in exports and with different processing lines. That park has a relatively new processing structure, with about 20 years of functioning, and with a technological level comparable to the best in the world, and entitled with HCCAP.

In the North and Northeast regions, predominates the frozen sector destinated to the external market, with benefits for lobster's tails, fish fillets, shrimp tails and, in the last years, tuna fishes. To stress out the processing of refrigerated products, particularly of, Albacores, Yellowfin, Big eye and of Swordfish.

In the South and Southeast regions, the industries structure is directed to the sardines and to the tuna fishes (among other species) canning production, and refrigerated and frozen products (fillets), most of it destinated to the national market. To point out, also, the processing of refrigerated products, mainly of Big eye and of Swordfish.

Economic role of the fishing industry

Fisheries activity has a small participation in the GDP, about 0,4 percent. However, its greatest importance is the support to the development of fishing centers, located in all Brazilian regions, contributing for the population to live along the extensive coast, lakes, rivers and weirs, and creating about 800 thousand direct jobs or about 4 million persons depending indirectly on fisheries and fish farming.

Demand

A simple analysis of the potential of fishing products consumption in Brazil, clearly shows that the demand in practically all the main commodities is greatly unsatisfied, including the lack of options in the offer of its products was responsible for the low consumption of fish per capita, in Brazil. Obviously, any increase in the consumption of products derivated from the fisheries sector will be related with the market programs and specially with the quality and the final presentation of such products which will result in an incentive to the increase of consumption or to have new consumers.

Undoubtly, it is interesting to stress out that Brazil, having such a natural potential for the fisheries production, has a double responsibility towards the international community to satisfy its own needs and to be able to answer to the world increasing demand of fisheries products. So, Brazil searches, urgently, for a national way out through the expansion of aquaculture and long distance fisheries, in order to get rid of the unpleasant situation of being the greatest fish importer in Latin America, with an amount, in 2000, equal to 194 thousand tons, corresponding to 297 million dollars.

The phenomenum of globalization has forced the factories to make adjustments in their lines, in order to give priority to the quality of the products. The adoption of the HACCP concept in all the steps of the productive process is a way of conquering new markets and of protecting the Brazilian factories from the international competitivity.

 DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

A new phase of development of the Brazilian fisheries sector was determined by the transference of aquaculture and fisheries management from a Department of environmental management to the Ministry of Agriculture, traditionally vocated to the productive activities management. Its responsibility is to establish goals and programs to develop a sector of the Economy which is important to improve a strong currency, jobs and income, having already been identified the basic macro vectors: the oceanic fisheries and aquaculture, both continental and marine.

Brazil, despite the fact of having one of the biggest coastal lines and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 4.5 million square kilometers, produces only 450 thousand tons of marine fishes, 95 percent of which comes from the capture of species on the coastal areas, over the continental shelf. This position of Brazil in the fisheries scenario cannot be justified at all, because, with species like tunas, the country is strategically well placed regarding the occurrence areas of the main species in the Atlantic Ocean, with a great comparative advantage for what concerns the economy of fisheries activity. While the vessels operating from the Brazilian ports reach the fishing areas in a few hours, the fleets from countries with great fishing tradition have to navigate more than 20 thousand km to reach the same areas.

Besides the great proximity of the stocks and the extensive coastal line, with many available ports for the operation of the fishing fleets, Brazil is near the three greatest economic blocks and consumption markets in the world.

The increasing expansion and importance of the oceanic fisheries in the country, and the present level of exploitation of the oceanic fisheries stocks in the Atlantic, force the connection, in large scale, between the Brazilian fisheries and the political capacity of the international coordination and negotiation, near the Organizations like FAO and ICCAT to guarantee the necessary means to accomplish, with efficiency, the international agreements like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Code of Conduct for a Responsible Fishery and the Fish Stock Agreement.

In what concerns aquaculture farming, Brazil has a highly favourable climate for the development of this activity, and great extensions of favourable areas to mariculture, which constitute the greatest potential sector for the increase of the Brazilian fisheries production, being its development associated as a priority for the actions of the production chains of the three main commodities : marine shrimps, fresh water fish farming (tilapia, trout, tambaqui, surubin, pintado, pirarucu), bivalve molluscs (mussels, oysters and scallops).

What is expected, now, is that the incentives generated by those actions will cause, in the years from 1998 to 2003, for example, , an increase of production of about 500 thousand tons, almost doubling Brazilian fisheries production of 1998, 710 703 tons.

 RESEARCH

The development of the fishing sector implies the study and the research and also the adoption of procedures and rules that may ensure the sustained improvement of the fishing resources. Brazil counts on a significant number of institutions dedicated to research in the fishing activity which involve universities, research institutes and foundations.

The 5^th Sectorial Plan for the Resources of the Sea established the following priority investigations for the period 1999 - 2003:

• Evaluation of the Sustainable Potential of the Living Resources of the EEZ - (REVIZEE), which basic motivation is the study of the national fishing activity, looking for the identification of new stocks for the opening of a new border for fisheries in the country, constituted by further areas of the EEZ, contributing for the diversification of the fishing activity.

• Evaluation and Handling of the Traditional Fisheries Resources, aiming the stock assessements which will provide the necessary estimates for an adequate management of the exploitation of the resources.

• Social-Economic Aspects. Aim the development of investigations for the improvement of the methods of handling, conservation and processing on board and in land, as well as the decrease of the rejections in order to allow a bigger valuation of the catches.

• Mariculture. Identification of the potentialities of the coastal ecosystems identifying the demands of each of the species and of the populations, concerning the conditions for reproduction, food and growth.The priority studies aim the restocking of the over exploited stocks.

• Fisheries Statistics. The Fisheries Statistics National System includes social-economic aspects and allows the systematic collection and updatingof the informations regarding the fishing effort and the landed production, creating a national data base which can be easily consulted. The scientific support is indispensable so that the fishing exploitation occurs within rational levels.

Aquaculture

The Aquaculture Research Centers emphasize the development of research, aiming to respond to the present demand, stressing out :

• to develop "technological packages" for the native species with an economical potential, like tambaqui (Colosomas) and the surubin (Pseudoplatistoma spp.);

• to promote investigations related with the fish handling and processing technologies in order to ensure the quality and the commercialization of the products;

• to collect, analyse and distribute the relevant information for the aquaculture development, difusing technologies and giving permanent assistance to the rural products;

• to select the adequate areas, through coastal zone managment for the aquaculture activity so that the development points of aquaculture are installed in a more efficient way.

AID

The Fisheries Development Program (PNUD-FAO) which worked between 1967 and 1978, went through with important tasks related with the research of the main coastal fishing species, the fishing gears and the market; and Infopesca that also helps with technical, commercial and scientifc information and data.

Later (1982-1987) Brazil counted on a Fishing Support Program financed by the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, with an amount of US$ 130 million for the support of three great sectors: renovation of the fishing fleet, construction of a fishing terminal and implementation of the support infra structures for the fisheries and aquaculture development (Research Centers, Aquaculture stations and modern research vessels).

Since December 1998, Brazil has a joint Program with FAO, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Support Program in Brazil, which aims to provide the technical and methodological support in order to reinforce the institutional structure to promote the development of fisheries and aquaculture, as well as to generate the necessary informations for the planification of the sector, promoting the fishing sector in the country, in order to increase its contribution for the improvement of food security and to generate jobs and income.

 INTERNET LINKS

http://www.agricultura.gov.br/dpa

http://www.epagri.rct-sc.br

http://www.crustacea.hpg.com.br

http://www.cttmar.univali.rct-sc.br

http://www.ibama.gov.br/atuacao/pescaqui

http://www.carcinicultor.com.br

http://www.panoramadaaquicultura.com.br

http://www.pescabrasil.com.br