Conhecimento ecológico local dos catadores e catadoras de ostras (crassostea) em uma área de proteção ambiental: Implicações para a gestão

Abstract

Since the beginning, traditional coastal communities have depended on the mangrove ecosystem as a source of food and income. Among the resources used, oysters are exploited without proper management, contributing to the decline of natural stocks, especially in easily accessible regions. Therefore, the objectives were to analyze and identify the differences between men and women regarding the different uses of the collection technique, cultivation (fattening) and commercialization of oysters of the genus Crassostrea (Sacco, 1897); and to analyze the knowledge of the scavengers about the biometry of the captured oysters, comparing the oysters collected between the dry and rainy seasons and the conditions of the natural stocks. The study was carried out in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Barra do Rio Mamanguape, north coast of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. The data were obtained through the snowball technique, with structured and semi-structured interviews, and direct participant observations. The results showed the existence of two oyster collection techniques performed according to gender, due to the difficulty and effort employed in the techniques. As for the access and use of the cultivation systems and types of marketing of oysters, men dominate the cultivation systems, while the majority of women are destined to meat processing (removal of valves), with lower economic income, because they prioritize activities subsistence with less time away from home, due to their responsibilities for household chores and childcare. Regarding the biometrics of the collected oysters, the measures of weight (g), length, width and thickness (mm), indicated that the sizes and quantities are greater during the dry period, because during the rainy season, the supply of fresh water decreases the salinity and temperature of the estuary, influencing oyster mortality and growth. In addition, there is a perception of the decrease in the abundance and sizes of oysters collected in a natural environment over the past decade, indicating an imbalance in the natural banks of oysters, which could threaten the sustainability of fishing in the medium and long terms. Therefore, the data collected can serve as a basis for the formulation of public policies that promote equal participation between men and women in the oyster production chain, with the implementation of the APA management plan, co-management plans that guarantee the increase of natural stocks. of the mollusc to maintain the conservation of the resource and the livelihood of the collectors in a sustainable way.