Assessment and management of the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem

The North Brazil Shelf is a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) that extends from the Caribbean Sea, in Central America, to the Parnaiba River in Brazil, and includes six countries. The area is dominated by the runoff of large rivers, including the Amazon and Orinoco, and by the intense disturbance of sediment transport, tides and currents. The sea bed is formed mainly by mud in shallow water, and by sand, mud, and gravel in deeper water. In terms of its biological productivity, this LME can be considered oligotrophic, with stratified habitats. The main source of nutrients of the euphotic layer is the local rivers and mangroves. Primary production has been limited by light and rising temperatures in recent years, factors associated with a decrease in marine primary productivity. However, the benthic fauna is very rich and unique, but poorly known. More than 500 fish species have been recorded in this LME. Demersal fish and shrimp are the main fishery resources in coastal and continental shelf waters. Fisheries account for more than 600 million USD a year with a considerable diversity of methods and scales ranging from very small to industrial. Seafood consumption is moderate to high in the local countries. Climate changes, dam building, deforestation, pollution, overfishing, tourism and aquaculture are the main threats to ecosystem productivity and habitat quality. Socioeconomic data are scant for this LME. Development is concentrated near the cities and mouths of rivers. Traditional communities in the coastal areas are culturally diverse, but invariably characterized by very low socioeconomic conditions. The Gross Domestic Product of the local countries ranges from 7,500 USD per capita in Guyana to 32,600 USD per capita in Trinidad and Tobago. Profound problems of governability are common to all six countries, and mean governance indicators reflect poor performances in all cases. The main issues are an absence of effective rule of law, political stability, and control of corruption. Fisheries are characterized by increasing effort and an absence of sustainability. Most of the fishery stocks are either fully or over exploited. This scenario can only be rectified by investments in marine protected areas and scientific research, as well as the increased participation of fishers in the development and implementation of management strategies and regulations.