Abstract

In the Amazonian context, trawling on the continental shelf is historically known for the absence of public policies consistent with the needs of income generation and conservation. Since the 1970s, this system has raised questions about the collapse of non-targeted stocks that have notably been neglected over 5 decades. Furthermore, every initiative aimed at closing fishing areas or including bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) promotes resistance from the fishing sector, which traditionally induces the implementation of regulations in favor of various advantages that have only promoted the disappearance of species and the loss of habitats. With the measurement of the area of Amazonian corals, the sensitivity of this ecosystem to the increase in fishing effort has again gained space in discussions of environmental protection and new ways to access resources while minimizing impacts. In this context, the DEFAU North project, with support from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Brazilian Federal Government, has shown the results generated by this form of capture, in an attempt to link fishing methods that promote lower mortality of non-target species. However, even having shown important results, the Brazilian fishing sector has hindered the development and applicability of these new methodologies, proposing different ways to prevent these actions. A reduction of more than 40% of bycatch has already been demonstrated with the use of low-cost and easy-to-use devices. What else is expected from an industry that promotes a new tragedy of the commons? The collapse of the Amazon shelf trawl fishery is imminent, highlighting the fragility of government and local governance.