The fishery of pelagic shrimp aviú Acetes paraguayensis in eastern Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The pelagic shrimp, Acetes paraguayensis Hansen, 1919, is an ecologically important species with an enormous socioeconomic value for the human populations in the regions where it occurs. This species also has considerable potential for shrimp farming, although few details are known of its biology. This study investigated the artisanal exploitation of A. paraguayensis stocks in the northern Brazilian municipality of Santarém over 16 months, focusing on the types of equipment most used to harvest of this shrimp, the fishing dynamics, and production patterns. The matapi trap was the principal method used of harvesting A. paraguayensis in the study region, conforming to a typically artisanal, small-scale fishing production system. This study results provide an essential research tool for developing conservation and management strategies and the eventual establishment of farming protocols.