Integrating fishers' knowledge on fish use with ecological networks to assess the 'silent threat' of mercury contamination in tropical marine and freshwater fisheries.
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| Title: | Integrating fishers' knowledge on fish use with ecological networks to assess the 'silent threat' of mercury contamination in tropical marine and freshwater fisheries. |
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| Authors: | Pereyra, Paula Evelyn Rubira1 (AUTHOR) paulinharubira@hotmail.com, Ospina‑Alvarez, Andrés2 (AUTHOR), Dutra, Márcia Caroline Friedl1 (AUTHOR), Schallenberger, Bárbara Heck1 (AUTHOR), Hallwass, Gustavo3,4,5 (AUTHOR), Begossi, Alpina5,6,7 (AUTHOR), Clauzet, Mariana5,8 (AUTHOR), Lopes, Priscila F. M.5,9 (AUTHOR), Silvano, Renato Azevedo Matias1,5 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Environment, Development & Sustainability. Jan2026, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p1033-1058. 26p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Mercury poisoning, *Socioeconomic factors, *Fish as food, *Fishery resources, *Fisheries, *Small-scale fisheries, *Freshwater fishes, *Fishing villages |
| Geographic Terms: | Amazon River Watershed |
| Abstract: | Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are important sources of livelihood but are vulnerable to anthropogenic environmental changes, including heavy metal pollution, such as mercury (Hg). Fish-Hg contamination has well-known health effects, but restricting fish consumption is potentially challenging in places where fish is the main source of income and protein. In this study, metrics from socio-ecological interaction networks extracted from interviews with fishers were applied to identify the main species harvested (consumed or sold) and commercialized by SSF communities. To evaluate the potential impacts of restricting the harvest of contaminated fish, interaction networks containing all the fish caught by the communities were compared with networks excluding species with potentially high mercury levels, according to the literature. The interaction networks were based on information provided by 395 fishers from 26 communities in the Tapajós River, Amazon Basin, and 454 fishers from 38 communities in the coastal bay of Ilha Grande and Paraty. The SSF communities used (interacted with) a total of 38 and 70 fish species in the freshwater and coastal environments, respectively, showing some specialization and dependence on these resources. The networks indicated that, if fishers were not to harvest some of the preferred fish due to mercury contamination, fishing pressure on other target species may increase, whereas food provision and income opportunities would be reduced, especially in the freshwater environment. This often-overlooked socioeconomic effect of mercury contamination can negatively affect both the fishers' livelihoods and the sustainability of these fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Energy & Power Source |
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| Abstract: | Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are important sources of livelihood but are vulnerable to anthropogenic environmental changes, including heavy metal pollution, such as mercury (Hg). Fish-Hg contamination has well-known health effects, but restricting fish consumption is potentially challenging in places where fish is the main source of income and protein. In this study, metrics from socio-ecological interaction networks extracted from interviews with fishers were applied to identify the main species harvested (consumed or sold) and commercialized by SSF communities. To evaluate the potential impacts of restricting the harvest of contaminated fish, interaction networks containing all the fish caught by the communities were compared with networks excluding species with potentially high mercury levels, according to the literature. The interaction networks were based on information provided by 395 fishers from 26 communities in the Tapajós River, Amazon Basin, and 454 fishers from 38 communities in the coastal bay of Ilha Grande and Paraty. The SSF communities used (interacted with) a total of 38 and 70 fish species in the freshwater and coastal environments, respectively, showing some specialization and dependence on these resources. The networks indicated that, if fishers were not to harvest some of the preferred fish due to mercury contamination, fishing pressure on other target species may increase, whereas food provision and income opportunities would be reduced, especially in the freshwater environment. This often-overlooked socioeconomic effect of mercury contamination can negatively affect both the fishers' livelihoods and the sustainability of these fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 1387585X |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10668-024-04990-y |
