Small-scale fisheries and their interactions with marine megafauna: implications for the conservation of threatened species

Abstract

Marine megafauna is of intrinsic importance to ecosystems, but it also provides essential services for ocean health and resilience through ecological roles in the structure and dynamics of marine communities. However, bycatch by coastal fisheries has been identified as a global threat to megafauna species, compromising the persistence of threatened populations, indicating it must be systematically monitored, evaluated, and have its impacts mitigated. This study uses the DAPSI(W)R(M) framework as a tool for understanding the interactions between coastal threatened marine megafauna species and small-scale fisheries, with a focus on bycatch and activities carried out on the inner shelf of the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The results allowed to identify research and management strategies that promote or enhance actions to reduce the impacts of bycatch, as well as well as knowledge gaps and challenges encountered, providing subsidies for the ecosystem approach and integrated management of the coastal zone of the state of Paraná.