<strong>The mangrove forest and artisan fishing in the Acupe District (Santo Amaro, Bahia State, Brazil): an ethnoecological approach</strong> - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v30i3.5014

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystems feature a high biomass and biodiversity concentration. High productivity supports the exploitation by many traditional populations that survive on shellfish catching and artisan fishing, such as those living in the Acupe District, located in Santo Amaro, in the west coast of the Todos os Santos Bay (Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil). The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the native knowledges about that vegetation (locally known as “mangues”) and their traditional practices, under Marques’s comprehensive ethnoecological approach. Fishermen were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with shellfishwomen and fishermen, in order to learn more about the thinking (knowledge and beliefs) and behaviors involved in the many exploitation modalities. The results were analyzed with a combined etic-emic approach, by comparing folk and scientific knowledge. The observed traditional behavior was correlated to possible environmental implications. The results showed that fishermen have robust knowledge of the “mangues”, including taxonomic features, trophic ecology, phenology, ecological zoning and ecosystem perceptions, sometimes similar to academics ones. These native knowledge and perceptions showed strongly relation to local culture and their uses had ethnoconservation implications.