PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PISCICULTURE ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF THE HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN OF THE CUBATÃO DO NORTE RIVER – SC - BRAZIL

Abstract

The objective of the present article is to evaluate socioeconomic and environmental impacts caused by fish culture in the Cubatão do Norte River Hydrographic Basin (CNRHB), located in the north of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The fieldwork consisted of visits to the places where fish culture is practiced and application of a questionnaire during the first semester of 2005; the existence of environmental licenses and projects was evaluated as well as the type of soil where the fishponds are located, the owners’ economic profit, identification of cultivated species in the region and others. Results were obtained in 19 of the 26 properties with fishponds visited in the CNRHB area. With respect to environmental licenses, 68.4% of respondents claimed they were unaware of their existence, and 63.16% stated they did not have or did not know of the existence of pond construction projects, which can lead to severe environmental impacts in the region. It was observed that 42.1% of the properties had rocky soil which is inadequate for the implantation of fishponds since they facilitate infiltration of water into the ground. It was noted that 47.4% of the fishponds had been constructed for consumption on the property itself with no commercial interest for the activity. Many types of fish were found on the properties, such as tilapia (Oreochromis spp), carp (Cyprinus spp), traíra (Hoplias malabaricus) and pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus). From the results it can be concluded that the lack of regulation of the tanks and the lack of information on the part of the fish culturists can cause impacts in superficial and underground waters of the region.