Overfishing Is Forcing Brazil to Import Seafood

Brazilian sardines For long and for many Brazilian families sardine has a staple food and 100.000 tons were unloaded in Brazilian ports during 2009, mostly in the states of Rio do Janeiro, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. However there are growing risks of over-fishing and an awareness plan has been implemented.

Sardine stocks in the late eighties and early nineties were at risk because of over-fishing but have since increased thanks to conservation measures implemented by Brazil’s federal government and supported by the private sector.

One of the main instruments has been fishing bans: one in summer, from November to February and in winter, between 15 June and 31 July. The first ban is geared to help the reproduction of the biomass, and the second to facilitate sardines to develop to an ideal catch size.

The sardine is not the only limited resource in Brazilian waters, since 80% of its species are overexploited. According to the coordinator of Fisheries Ordinance from the Brazilian Institute for Environment and Natural Renewable Resources, (IBAMA), Clemeson José Pinheiro da Silva, a working alliance between the government and the productive sector is essential for the instrumentation of conservation measures to ensure seafood resources.

“One thing is to announce a ruling, another to implement it and make people comply with it. We need the rules to be accepted and legitimized by different sectors of society, as the government does not have a control structure that can adequately control all Brazilian coasts and rivers,” said Pinheiro da Silva.

Besides bans, IBAMA develops management plans for five seafood species to ensure conservation. Lobster was the first resource included in the management plans, Jornal do Brasil reports. The second will be sardines, and then on sharks, shrimp, crab and seahorses.

However if domestic consumption continues to grow at the current rate Brazil will be increasingly dependent on imports, points out IBAMA that anticipates a sardine catch of 120,000 tons for 2010.

Dario Vitale, head of the fishing industries organization from Itajaí, Santa Catarina state underlined the importance of conservation and fishermen’s awareness.

“We managed to create awareness among fishermen who have fully understood that a sustainable industry is essential for the process of generating production and wealth,” said Vitale.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Gets Direct Sea Connection to Middle East

In addition to a direct flight between São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil and Dubai, ...

Brazil Sends 3 Ministers, Pelí© and Paulo Coelho to Davos

The World Economic Forum got started today in Davos, Switzerland. The theme of this ...

IMF Recognizes that Poverty Has Substantially Fallen in Brazil

The director of the Western Hemisphere Department of the IMF, Anoop Singh, praised today, ...

World of Aviation Business Gathers in Brazil in Celebratory Mood

The business aviation market is going through a phase of record high growth worldwide, ...

Brazilians on the Streets Against the U.S.

Brazilians by the thousands will be hitting the street this weekend in demonstrations throughout ...

Brazil’s Raising Inflation Increases Chances of Higher Interest Rates

Inflation in Brazil has risen above government target (4.5%) levels for a second consecutive ...

Japan Might Import 6 Billion Liters of Ethanol a Year from Brazil

Petrobras, Brazil’s state-run oil giant, reports it is studying the possibility of exporting sugarcane-based ...

Brazilians Discover Green Industry and Take Few First Steps on the Road to Sustainable Goods

The movement is still rather quiet. Maybe the most switched off consumers have not ...

Time of World Cup in Brazil

World Cup Brings Out the Best and Worst in Brazil

The World Cup brings out much that is great about living in Brazil but ...

Chemical Rain on Brazilians Leaves New Zealand’s Green Reputation Badly Damaged

Two Brazilian tourists who were doused with herbicide by a helicopter spraying gorse over ...

WordPress database error: [Table './brazzil3_live/wp_wfHits' is marked as crashed and last (automatic?) repair failed]
SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_wfHits`