The artisanal fishery fleet of the lower Amazon

The present study analyses temporal trends in the characteristics of the artisanal fleet landing at ports in the city of Santarem (lower Amazon) from 1993 to 2003. A total of 2714 boats visited the city, accounting for more than 76 000 landings. Of these, 1952 were fishing boats; the others were buyer boats, specialised in the purchase of fish in rural areas for resale in Santarem. The activity involves more than 13 000 fishermen. Fishing boats are made of wood, are on average 11 m long and powered by a 20 hp outboard motor. Boats operate with an average of six to seven fishermen, spending 6 days per trip and catching between 300 and 800 kg of fish. Most variability in yield can be explained by the ice consumed (70%), the number of fishermen trip(-1) (19%), fuel consumed (4%) and days spent fishing (3%). The yield changed according to the size, origin and type of boat. Fishing boats coming from more distant locations, in the state of Amazonas, performed better than those from Santarem. Total yield declined slightly during the study period. Mean age of fishing boats and fishing power is increasing. Consumption of ice and fuel by trip, number of fishermen trip(-1) and mean days fishing showed positive trends. Financial subsidies from governmental agencies are criticised. Fleet performance and management options are discussed.