Web-based and logbook catch data of permits and pompanos by small-scale and recreational fishers: Predictable spawning aggregation and exploitation pressure

For commercially important permits and pompanos, scant official information exists on fishery assessments, the reproductive seasonality and location of these species, which impede knowing the intensity of fishing pressure imposed at their spawning grounds. Fishers have acquired a substantial body of knowledge on these species as a result of their exploitation, which typically occurs at spawning aggregation sites. Because efficient fishery management relies on knowing the locations and time of spawning of exploited species, deficiencies of such information may impair the establishment of sustainable exploitation strategies. Here, we analyzed the data of permits (Trachinotus falcatus) and great pompanos (Trachinotus goodei) along the Brazilian coast, from small-scale (SSF) and recreational (RF) fishers that voluntarily shared their data (i.e., logbooks, images, movies), enabling us to track these aggregations and the resulting fishing pressure. Furthermore, to directly assess the impact that local fishing may have on these aggregations, we monitored the great pompano in Todos os Santos Bay (TSB). In TSB, high catches occurred at four sites known by fishers to harbor fish aggregations. We showed that abundant landings of these species are associated with SSF and RF, typically targeting ‘trophy’ individuals. Furthermore, expanding the web-based and logbook data through modeled catch estimates, we found high probability of catching these species during spawning aggregations. Fishers exert pressures on these populations given their awareness of the location and timing of these species’ aggregations. Collaborating with fishers and obtained their engagement toward guiding conservation-oriented fishery management at spawning grounds remains a highly sought-after goal.