Sustentabilidade ecológica da ictiofauna capturada pela pesca de covo no litoral norte de Pernambuco

Abstract

The trap fishing is one of the oldest fishing methods still used. This fishing gear began in the 1970 in Pernambuco, taking the lobster as a target specie. However, due to decline, the fleet changed the capture direction for bony fish, primarily the Spotted goatfish. The main objective of this study was to analyze the fish composition caught by trap fishing, their morphological, seasonal and spatial characteristics and their vulnerability. In total, 528 individuals and 25 species were collected, where Haemulon aurolineatum was the most abundant species, followed by Lutjanus synagris and Pseudupeneus maculatus. Data from the catch composition indicated that Spotted goatfish and Lane snapper had a high index of individuals below the L50 and their majority was captured by Jaguaribe fleet, which operates at dephts lower than 40m. The productivity and susceptibility analysis pointed out that target species (L. synagris and P. maculatus) are still the most vulnerable to trap fishing, due to a relatively low productivity and high susceptibility for both.