Diegues, Antonio Carlos. 1994. "Traditional Sea Tenure and Coastal Fisheries Resources Management in Brazil." Presented at "Inequality and the Commons," the third annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property (revised version), Washington, DC, September 17-20, 1992.

Abstract

"This paper analyzes some examples of traditional sea tenure and fishery management along the Brazilian coast. Some of these systems were set up by Indians, in pre-colonial times although most of them were developed by artisanal fishermen after that period. The 'caicaras' (brush-parks) from Alagoas lagoons; lunar tide fishing from Bahia, (calao fishing); estuarine 'viveiros' (aquaculture ponds) from the Northeast; restricted access to fishing grounds from Depetiba Bay (Rio de Janeiro) are the main systems described in the paper. They are deeply embedded in the culture of artisanal fishermen and are on an integral part of the livelihood of these coastal populations. These systems are threatened today by coastal degradation processes. The author also discusses the potential for integrating traditional sea tenure and fishery management into modern coastal management."