SOCIO-ECONOMICAL ASPECTS OF ARTISANAL FISHERIES CARRYED OUT IN THE URUBUPUNGÁ COMPLEX AND DOWN THE PARANÁ RIVER

Abstract

To accomplish this study three habitats had been considered: I) Ilha Solteira and Jupiá reservoirs; II) Paraná river between the dams of Jupiá and Porto Primavera; III) Paraná river down the Porto Primavera dam. The data collection was carried out by the application of questionnaires to a total of 187 fishermen, of those just 164 interviews had been considered valid. They were applied on July 1998 (dry season) and February 1999 (rainy season). The objective of this paper was to make a list of the variables directly linked to the fishing activity (such as habitats, seasons - dry or rainy, gears used in the fishing, days of fishing during the week, material used in the boat and motorized (or not) boat) as well as some socio-economical variables (age, civil status, number of dependents, education, search of another activity during the decline of fisheries).Through descriptive measures and statistical tests, it was concluded that nearly 75% of the fishermen are less than 50 years old and they are married. Nearly 64% of interviews have up to 3 dependents and there is a predominance of primary school (complet or incomplet). Statistically, the search for another activity in the decline of fishing in the season, the material used in the boat and the number of days of fishing during the week depend on habitats and season where fishermen are acting. The gears more frequently used are gillnets, that prevail in the habitats 1 and 2, and longline, more frequent in the habitat 3.