Coqueiral Raft Fishery, Brazil

Resource System
Coastal marine ecosystem
Resource Units
Fish stocks of bagre or catfish, barbudo, and mackerel

Coqueiral is a coastal community located in the Guaiamu county in the state of Alagoas, in northeast Brazil. The original study, which was carried out in 1965, catalogued approximately 85 active fishermen. The resource units are a range of coastal fishes that vary depending on seasonal migration of fish species and type of rafts. Few commonly caught fish species are bagre (Tachysurus sp.) or catfish, barbudo (Polynemus virginicus), and mackerel. Majority of fishermen alternate between fishing independently on their own rafts and serving as crew members on jangadas belonging to others. The resource area is defined by the bay as well as by traditional usage and technology. The fishermen's association assigns appropriate catch divisions of the fish.

This case study is part of the original Common-Pool Resource (CPR) database. A summary of the original CPR coding conducted in the 1980s by Edella Schlager and Shui Yan Tang at Indiana University may be found under the CPR tab in the Institutional Analysis section below.