Abstract

Elder fishers represent a critical source of information about historical changes in fisheries. Through time they have accumulated detailed knowledge about their resources, fishing practices, and environmental conditions that impact both users and fishing communities. This study seeks to understand the development of the small-scale fisheries in the Yucatan coast since the 1950s to date, looking at resource availability, fishing operations, market, and different challenges and constraints faced by small-scale fishers over decades. To do so, information from interviews, statistical data, and literature were analysed. In-depth interview was applied to fishers ranging 59-81 years old in Dzilam de Bravo fishing community. Resource depletion, lack of opportunities, capacity enhancing, and openness of new fisheries were principal triggers for changing conditions. Replacement of main target species, such as sharks by others like sea cucumber and octopus were reported by fishers; these changes were also evident in catch trends of official records. Fiberglass vessels, outboard motor, and efficient fishing gears replaced the small wooden vessels “cayucos”, paddles, and organic fibers used 60 years ago, which allowed fishers to move to deeper waters far from the coast. Weather conditions remain among the most mentioned issues that make them vulnerable yet, while product conservation and commercialization no longer concern fishers, young fishers’ inexperience, piracy, addictions, and immigration were cited among those impacting fishing communities nowa-days. Traditional knowledge has proved to be a powerful tool in fisheries assessment; learning about historical changes can define a different base line when assessing fisheries and dealing with management and conservation.

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