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The Pacific coast of Colombia is characterized by mangrove ecosystems which play a crucial role as possible nurseries for juvenile sharks. However, trophic food webs from coastal ecosystems are heavily disturbed by increased fishing pressure, which affects numerous shark species. In this region of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), fisheries' data from coastal areas are scarce and unspecific, as most sharks from artisanal fisheries are landed decapitated and finless, making their morphological identification difficult. For the establishment and implementation of effective regional conservation and management policies, information on the diversity and population dynamics of shark species is crucial. We therefore sequenced the mitochondrial NADH2 gene of 696 samples taken from fishermen's landings of shark's bycatch along the Colombian north Pacific coast. We were able to identify 14 species of sharks, two of the most abundant species were Sphyrna lewini and Carcharhinus falciformis, both evaluated on IUCN the Red List of Threatened species (Critically Endangered and Vulnerable) and CITES regulated. We found low genetic diversity in the sampled area increasing the concern for both species in the region, even more considering that the majority of individuals were juveniles. Our results showed the importance of genetic markers for first population genetic insights as a complementary tool during the decision-making process in management plans. For this specific region, strategies such as the delimitation of conservation priority areas or the regulation of fishing gears could help improve the sustainability of shark populations in the Colombian Pacific.

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BACKGROUND: Traditional fishing communities are strongholds of ethnobiological knowledge but establishing to what degree they harbor cultural consensus about different aspects of this knowledge has been a challenge in many ethnobiological studies. METHODS: We conducted an ethnobiological study in an artisanal fishing community in northeast Brazil, where we interviewed 91 community members (49 men and 42 women) with different type of activities (fishers and non-fishers), in order to obtain free lists and salience indices of the fish they know. To establish whether there is cultural consensus in their traditional knowledge on fish, we engaged a smaller subset of 45 participants in triad tasks where they chose the most different fish out of 30 triads. We used the similarity matrices generated from the task results to detect if there is cultural consensus in the way fish were classified by them. RESULTS: The findings show how large is the community's knowledge of fish, with 197 ethnospecies registered, of which 33 species were detected as salient or important to the community. In general, men cited more fish than women. We also found that there was no cultural consensus in the ways fish were classified. CONCLUSIONS: Both free-listing and triad task methods revealed little cultural consensus in the way knowledge is structured and how fish were classified by community members. Our results suggest that it is prudent not to make assumptions that a given local community has a single cultural consensus model in classifying the organisms in their environment.

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BACKGROUND: The capture of ornamental fish is one of the main economic activities of riverine families in the Amazon. However, studies regarding the local ecological knowledge of workers in this activity are still incipient. In view of this, we have studied and explored the local ecological knowledge of artisanal fishers who specialize in the capture of fish for the aquarium trade in the middle part of the Negro River basin and investigated issues related to the ecological aspects of the fish species that are targeted by this trade in the region. METHODS: Therefore, we conducted semi-structured interviews and applied questionnaires to artisanal fishers of ornamental fish (N = 89), from the municipality of Barcelos, from January to April 2016. RESULTS: In total, 41 popular names were cited, which correspond to four ethnocategories and 10 families. The main species were Paracheirodon axelrodi (12.5%), Hemigrammus bleheri (8.3%), Ancistrus dolichopterus (6.4%), Symphysodon discus (5.3%), and Potamotrygon motoro (3.8%). According to the fishers, the species of fish known in the region as "piabas" have a preference for living in clusters (28.9%) and carry out migratory movements (26.1%). The diet of local fish species reported by fisheries is diverse, though mainly based on periphyton (42.2%), and the reproductive cycle directly influenced by the period of flooding of rivers in the region (37.6%) CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that the fishers possess information on the ecological aspects of local ornamental fish species, many of which are consistent with scientific literature. The information presented may assist in the decision-making process for the management of local fishery resources and contribute to the resumption of growth and sustainability in the capture of ornamental fish.

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This study aimed to investigate the environmental impacts generated by the hydroelectric complex in the Madeira River, Brazilian Amazon, based on the perceptions of local fishers and fishery database, it focus attention on three main impacts: (i) on local fishery stocks; (ii) in fish fauna and (iii) on the aquatic ecosystems. The local fishers were selected through the "snowball" approach for the application of semi-structured interviews. All the local fishers confirmed having perceived a decline in fishery productivity following the impounding of the Madeira River. Changes in the condition of the fish were also perceived by the local fishers, including exophthalmia (82%), a reduction in the weight or length of the fish (25%), and irregular breeding patterns (14%). In the case of impacts on the river, changes in the hydrological cycle were the process remembered most frequently (75%). The results elucidated a range of environmental impacts caused by the hydroelectric dams of the Madeira River.

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Artisanal fishing is an important traditional activity on the coast of Espírito Santo (ES) State, southeastern Brazil. Despite this, there is a lack of updated data on artisanal fishing and its interfaces with socioenvironmental oceanography. The present study describes the social profile of fishers (gender, age, education, and period of professional activity) and the fishing activity (fishing gear and target species) along the coast of Espírito Santo State. Interviews with semi-structured questionnaires were carried out with 366 artisanal fishers living in 10 fishing communities. The interviewed fishers are mostly male, with low education, who had been fishing for more than 41 years (32%). The fishers described 59 target ethnospecies, with eight being common in 90% (n = 9) of the communities under study. These workers use the following fishing gear: line, longline, gillnet, trawl net, and harpoon. Socioenvironmental oceanography enables obtaining basic information on artisanal fishing, which can support the development of public policies for the sector with a view to maintaining this activity in Espírito Santo State.

A pesca artesanal constitui uma importante atividade tradicional no litoral do estado do Espírito Santo (ES), sudeste do Brasil. Apesar disso, existe uma carência de dados atualizados sobre a pesca artesanal e suas interfases com a Oceanografia Socioambiental. O presente estudo visa descrever o perfil social (sexo, idade, escolaridade e tempo de pesca) e a atividade pesqueira (petrecho de pesca e espécies-alvo) ao longo da costa do ES. Entrevistas com questionário semiestruturado foram realizadas com 366 pescadores artesanais residentes em 10 comunidades pesqueiras. Os pescadores entrevistados são em sua maioria homens, com baixa escolaridade, que praticam a pesca há mais de 41 anos (32%). Foram descritas 59 etnoespécies-alvo, sendo oito comuns em 90% (n = 9) das comunidades estudadas. Os petrechos de pesca utilizados são: espinhel, linha, rede de emalhe, rede de arrasto e arpão. Por meio da oceanografia socioambiental é possível a obtenção das informações básicas sobre a pesca artesanal que podem contribuir para a elaboração de políticas públicas voltadas ao setor a fim de promover a manutenção da atividade no estado ES.

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Artisanal fishing is an important traditional activity on the coast of Espírito Santo (ES) State, southeastern Brazil. Despite this, there is a lack of updated data on artisanal fishing and its interfaces with socioenvironmental oceanography. The present study describes the social profile of fishers (gender, age, education, and period of professional activity) and the fishing activity (fishing gear and target species) along the coast of Espírito Santo State. Interviews with semi-structured questionnaires were carried out with 366 artisanal fishers living in 10 fishing communities. The interviewed fishers are mostly male, with low education, who had been fishing for more than 41 years (32%). The fishers described 59 target ethnospecies, with eight being common in 90% (n = 9) of the communities under study. These workers use the following fishing gear: line, longline, gillnet, trawl net, and harpoon. Socioenvironmental oceanography enables obtaining basic information on artisanal fishing, which can support the development of public policies for the sector with a view to maintaining this activity in Espírito Santo State.(AU)

A pesca artesanal constitui uma importante atividade tradicional no litoral do estado do Espírito Santo (ES), sudeste do Brasil. Apesar disso, existe uma carência de dados atualizados sobre a pesca artesanal e suas interfases com a Oceanografia Socioambiental. O presente estudo visa descrever o perfil social (sexo, idade, escolaridade e tempo de pesca) e a atividade pesqueira (petrecho de pesca e espécies-alvo) ao longo da costa do ES. Entrevistas com questionário semiestruturado foram realizadas com 366 pescadores artesanais residentes em 10 comunidades pesqueiras. Os pescadores entrevistados são em sua maioria homens, com baixa escolaridade, que praticam a pesca há mais de 41 anos (32%). Foram descritas 59 etnoespécies-alvo, sendo oito comuns em 90% (n = 9) das comunidades estudadas. Os petrechos de pesca utilizados são: espinhel, linha, rede de emalhe, rede de arrasto e arpão. Por meio da oceanografia socioambiental é possível a obtenção das informações básicas sobre a pesca artesanal que podem contribuir para a elaboração de políticas públicas voltadas ao setor a fim de promover a manutenção da atividade no estado ES.(AU)

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Artisanal fishermen around the world employ scuba and surface-supplied diving for their livelihoods and often undergo provocative dive profiles due to economic pressures. Consequently, rates of decompression sickness (DCS) are much greater than in recreational scuba divers. Here we present the case of a surface-supplied diving fisherman from the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, who suffered a significant episode of spinal DCS and underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments, with a favorable outcome. Additionally, we review the proposed mechanisms underlying spinal DCS.

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