Is amateur fishing a money-earning opportunity or a cause of dispersion of exotic species? - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v25i1.2089

Abstract

Commercial business (named here as 'fish-and-pay' - pesque-pague, which uses people’s interest in fishing) became widespread quickly in Brazil. But among the species used in 'fish-and-pay' ponds, many are exotic. Thus, the 'fish-and-pay' ponds are, through escape, potential sources for introduction of alien organisms into the natural water bodies. Considering this, the purposes of this paper are: i) to analyze the problems related to the activity; ii) to verify the occurrence of spawning of the species used in ponds of the fish-and-pay and in the natural environment; iii) to register the presence of exotic species in the natural environments close to the 'fish-and-pay' ponds. To meet these objectives, a questionnaire with broad questions was applied to 'fish-and-pay' owners. In addition, the 'fish-and-pay' ponds (seining nets) and the natural environments (streams; casting nets, seining nets and seine) were sampled. The interviewed owners demonstrated poor ability to administrate the business. As a result of that, escapes from the ponds are inevitable but measures to remedy this situation are necessary. Related authorities should help in the project of those ponds construction and monitor nearby stream areas