Management and Livelihood: Interrelation between Fishing and Other Activities in Managed Communities in the Amazon Floodplain

Abstract

"Previous research on the subsistence oriented fisher in the Amazon had suggested that fishing, agriculture, and ranching are closely related to each other. When communities in this region undergo under management the productivity of the fishing activity is increased and research has showed that extra time is saved to practice other activities. The objective of this work is to understand the relation between fishing and other activities in fishing communities in the Lower Amazon. By using a survey conducted in 18 paired communities with and without co-management agreements (i.e. 9 pairs of a co-managed and non-managed fishery each) this study had the objective to evaluate the changes in household practices once management is installed in a community and fish productivity increases. A total of 259 households were surveyed to estimate total income of economic activities, fishing effort, and catch. Results showed that the increase in productivity in managed lakes is actually the result of exclusion of external fishers and not the result of reduction in household time expended in fishing activity. This unchanged relation between fishing time in communities with and without management is also true for other activities as there is no significant difference between agriculture and cattle ranching practiced between managed and unmanaged communities (average crop area and heard size per family). A linear regression of fishing income and income of other activities and social variables showed a light significant positive relation between fishing (using canoe) and agriculture and a negative relation with retirement income but did not show any relation with cattle, number of fishing boats, and income from salary. Using this analysis no relation was established between ranching and fishing activity giving evidence that fishing is not associated or subsidizing deforestation for cattle ranching."