Abstract
Small-scale fisheries is an important factor in the generation of income, jobs and food security. Understanding the characteristics of small-scale fisheries, and the volume of resources and food that they generate can help society recognize their value, lead to the establishment of public policies to improve working conditions and adapt the management of exploited resources for long-term conservation. The objective of this study was to estimate income, production capacity and importance of small-scale fisheries for fisher families of the municipality of Caraguatatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Fishers were interviewed from May 2012 to June 2013 and categorized according to vessel size and the number of people on the boat and helpers. Monthly income ranged from US$ 566.78 to US$ 1,466.87. The importance of fishing to family income ranged from 50.60% (employee) to 78.25% (entrepreneur). Fishers usually dedicate themselves to this activity for 8.47 to 13.22 hours daily, with daily fish production volume ranging from 42.72 to 122.14 kg/day. Small-scale fisheries involve, either directly or indirectly, about 1,170 people in the municipality and provide a network of social protection due to their local and regional importance.
Key words
family income analysis; fishers; profitability small-scale fishery; professional fishers