Addressing Common Demands of Community Fisheries in the Brazilian Amazon

The non utilization of fishing management techniques in the Amazônia has many causes such as land tenure instability, inadequate legislation and public policies, the advance of cattle ranching over the floodplains and lack of adequate credit and incentives. Amongst the effects caused by this problem we find the alteration of the ecological process in the floodplains, a decrease in some fish stock and the social and economic negative impacts on local communities. However, in the 90s the flooded forests and floodplains in the Amazônia started to get some special attention, both from civil society and government as well as from researchers, concerning the sustainable management of fishing resources. Initially, rules and usage patterns for commercial fishing management were established directed to the big undertakings. Although, a normative approach for the small communities had not been considered yet, and the main demands raised by the communities do not subsidize fishing public policies. These communities, dependent on intermediaries linked to the industries, sold their produces and their rights to exploit the lakes at low prices, or were subjected to unfair barter. An effort from non-governmental organizations, fisher’s colonies, local communities and government, led to changes in this scenario from the mid 90’s onwards. Firstly, it was acknowledged the importance to differentiate and support fishing community management actions as a strategy of usage and conservation of the flooded forests and their floodplains. Afterwards, a reference document was released by IBAMA for the implementation of fishing agreements as an instrument for community management Thirdly, there were proposals of donation to support projects in this area. The First Fishing Community Management Meeting in Amazônia, which took place in May 2002 in Manaus, Amazonas, was an important landmark for fisheries in Amazônia. Fishermen from many regions in the Amazônia were gathered to promote an exchange of experience on community management with other fishers and technicians, to evaluate the present situation main problems, lessons learned and necessities and to propose actions to strengthen and to consolidate this management practice that was developed by traditional peoples. The object of this article is (i) to record the efforts of local communities on the participatory management of fishing resources; and (ii) to make clear the existence of demands and proposals recommended by the local communities as subsidies to public policies on sustainable fishing management in Amazônia.