Mortality of the Antillean manatee, Trichechus manatus manatus, in Ceará State, north-eastern Brazil

Abstract

Manatee mortality in Ceará State (north-eastern Brazil) is analysed from twenty-five strandings between 1987 and 2002. The majority of the causes were related to the ‘dependent calf’ category (83.3%). Direct human-related causes were attributed to incidental catches in fishing gear (shrimp trawling and gill-nets) (12.5%) and direct capture (4.2%). Spatial distribution was not uniform, with the highest number of strandings on the east coast. The number of strandings has increased since 1999, and the seasonal distribution showed peaks in February, March and January, in that order. The stranding of manatee calves in Ceará State seems to be indirectly related to human activities that impact coastal nursing habitats.