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Small-scale fishers’ adaptations to change: The role of formal and informal credit in Paraty, Brazil

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  • Emdad Haque, C.
  • Julián Idrobo, C.
  • Berkes, Fikret
  • Giesbrecht, Dale

Abstract

Small-scale fishers in coastal areas of Brazil face numerous challenges, including marginalization by large-scale industrial operations, poor market access, lack of working capital, and pressure to diversify their livelihood base. From the perspective of adaptive capacity, this investigation was carried out in three communities in the municipality of Paraty (Rio de Janeiro State), and sought to determine the main challenges facing local fishers, and fishers’ current adaptive and transformative actions against these challenges. Findings revealed that the majority of fishers (55%) own mid-size diesel boats (6–9m) and face constant pressure to scale-up and diversify operations to take advantage of the growing tourism sector. Such expansion requires financial capital. However, due to fear of losing assets, inability to arrange a co-signer, and lack of adequate collateral, many fishers are reluctant to obtain credit from government-sponsored programs and seek credit elsewhere. Fishers with larger boats are increasingly opting for tourism-related activities through informal credit arrangements. However, of the smaller-scale fisher respondents some 27% have opted to downsize their fishing operations through intrasectoral adjustments. These actions reflect a general trend of aversion to financial liability and vulnerability by way of flexibility, dynamism, and diversification. It is recommended that access to credit should be made easier for small-scale fishers to provide more options to diversify their livelihood base but without exerting additional fishing pressure on already overfished stocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Emdad Haque, C. & Julián Idrobo, C. & Berkes, Fikret & Giesbrecht, Dale, 2015. "Small-scale fishers’ adaptations to change: The role of formal and informal credit in Paraty, Brazil," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 401-407.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:marpol:v:51:y:2015:i:c:p:401-407
    DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2014.10.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Novak Colwell, Julia M. & Axelrod, Mark & Salim, Shyam S. & Velvizhi, S., 2017. "A Gendered Analysis of Fisherfolk’s Livelihood Adaptation and Coping Responses in the Face of a Seasonal Fishing Ban in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 325-337.
    2. Gabriela Guimarães Orofino & Thais Vezehaci Roque & Viviane Stern Fonseca Kruel & Nivaldo Peroni & Natalia Hanazaki, 2018. "Local knowledge about dugout canoes reveals connections between forests and fisheries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 2773-2793, December.

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