geographic and meteorological factors, deep
oceanic waters up-well, bringing with them
nitrates and phosphates that act as fertiliz-
ers for the more superficial coastal waters.
The availability of these nutrients thereby
attracts a high diversity of aquatic plants
and animals and increases the richness of
the ecosystem. The result is an extremely
diverse aquatic system which has sustained
the livelihoods of the inhabitants of the
cape over thousands of years. The principal
commercialised species are: mullet (Mugill
spp.),bonito (Auxis sp.),blue fish
(Pomatomus saltatrix), squid (Loligo san-
paulensis) and a species of dogfish (Squalus
acanthias).
Marine Extractive Reserve’s (MER)
As a result of both internal and international
pressure, the Brazilian Government has
expanded its protected area network over
the last ten years. Although the Extractive
Reserve conservation category was created
in 1990, it was only in 1997 that this con-
cept was applied to open water marine
areas. Currently there are plans to create
direct use marine conservation areas along
the coastline in order to protect the cultural
and ecological diversity of coastal areas. A
list made available by
National Center for the
Sustainable Development
of Traditional Populations
(CNPT) indicates an
increasing trend towards
the establishment of
direct use marine
reserves. Of 22 reserves
currently being created,
18 focus on aquatic
resources with the major-
ity (13) encompassing
open water marine environments in coastal
areas (See Fig. 2). This policy trend is sig-
nificant in that it represents the first gov-
ernment-sponsored effort to protect the
common property resources upon which
small-scale fishers depend.
In order to create an MER, interested com-
munities must submit a proposal (usually
developed with the assistance of a local uni-
versity or non-governmental organisation)
to the federal environmental agency that
describes the unique or significant ecologi-
cal and social characteristics of the area in
question. By proposing an MER, local fishing
groups hope to gain greater control over
their marine resources, including the ability
to exclude outside users. They are also
granted long term tenure over the resources
with the assumption that more stable
tenure will encourage a greater sense of
ownership and result in greater protection
of these resources. This approach is based
on the assumption that local resource users,
with support from the State, may be the
best stewards of the marine resources their
livelihoods depend on. If approved, repre-
sentatives from the community and the
state develop a utilisation plan via a series
of participatory planning meetings that
should involve all relevant stakeholders.
Resource users can be represented by an
existing group or association or if none is
appropriate or available group is created for
this purpose which consists of a board of
elected representatives. It is via this organi-
sation that user rights and responsibilities
are established. Membership is mandatory
over time and determines rights over the
resource in question. Finally, the plan is set
to work, and adapted over time to meet
changing management needs.
In 1997, Brazil’s first open-water MER was
created in Arraial do Cabo. One of the pri-
mary goals of this integrated conservation
and development initiatives is to protect the
beach seining community that has tradition-
ally fished in this area. The fishing practices
employed by this group along with the for-
mal and informal institutions that govern
them provided the justification for the cre-
ation of this conservation and development
area. The creation of this MER was also
seen as a vehicle for the long-term protec-
tion of the area’s rich marine ecosystem,
nurtured by the up-welling phenomenon
and intrinsically linked to these traditional
activities. In part, protection of these
aspects of the community is seen as impor-
tant because local fishing activities are
based on sustainable principals and local
History, cculture aand cconservation
This ppolicy ttrend iis
significant... iit rrepre-
sents tthe ffirst ggov-
ernment-ssponsored
effort tto pprotect tthe
common pproperty
resources uupon wwhich
small-sscale ffishers
depend.
