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From Ethnobiology to Ecotoxicology: Fishers’ Knowledge on Trophic Levels as Indicator of Bioaccumulation in Tropical Marine and Freshwater Fishes

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Abstract

Information on fish trophic levels is important to assess fishing impacts and to better understand the bioaccumulation of pollutants within aquatic food chains. The local ecological knowledge held by small-scale fishers can fill knowledge gaps in fish trophic ecology. We estimated the trophic levels of 69 tropical and subtropical fish species (33 coastal and 36 freshwater species) using data on fish diets from the literature and obtained from interviews with Brazilian fishers. The fish trophic levels estimated from fishers’ knowledge were positively correlated with the trophic levels estimated using data from biological studies for both coastal and freshwater fish. The fishers’ knowledge also indicated bioaccumulation patterns, as the fish trophic levels estimated from fishers’ knowledge were positively related to the mercury (Hg) content in fish muscle (wet weight, from literature data) in 41 fish species (15 coastal and 26 freshwater). These findings reveal the potential for new applications of fishers’ knowledge to ecotoxicology, which could improve management of aquatic ecosystems and strengthen fishers’ political status.

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Acknowledgements

We thank fishers for their cooperation, L.C.F. Porcher, P.P. Nitschke, and T.A. Solaro for helping with data organization, and Z. Castilhos for advice on mercury data. We thank an anonymous reviewer for useful suggestions. The research projects were funded by Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil S/A (Eletronorte) (Contract 4500057477, ELN/ANEEL/ FAURGS, Tocantins River), Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, Brazilian coast and Negro River), International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada) Grant (# 104519-004, Paraty, southeastern Brazilian coast). R.A.M.S (304377/2010-4), and A.B. acknowledge research grants (309014/2013-1) and financial support to present this research in a meeting (AVG 457348/2012-7) from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico and Tecnológico (CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), CP 15007, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil

    Renato Azevedo Matias Silvano

  2. Fisheries and Food Institute – FIFO/UNISANTA, Rua Cesário Motta, 08, Sala 82 F, Santos, SP, 11045-040, Brazil

    Renato Azevedo Matias Silvano & Alpina Begossi

  3. CAPESCA/NEPA/ Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Albert Einstein 291, Campinas, SP, 13083-852, Brazil

    Alpina Begossi

  4. Laboratório de Ecologia Humana, Programa de Pós Graduação em Sustentabilidade de Ecossistemas Costeiros e Marinhos (ECOMAR), Universidade Santa Cecília – UNISANTA, Rua Cesário Mota, 08, Bloco F, Santos, SP, 11045-040, Brazil

    Alpina Begossi

  5. Dep. Ecologia and PPG Ecologia, UFRGS, CP 15007, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil

    Renato Azevedo Matias Silvano

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  1. Renato Azevedo Matias Silvano
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Correspondence to Renato Azevedo Matias Silvano.

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R.A.M.S. designed the survey, collected data, analyzed data, and interpreted the results. A.B. collected data and interpreted results. Both authors discussed the results and jointly wrote the manuscript. Related data can be found at http://www.ecologia.ufrgs.br/etnoecologia/index.

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Silvano, R.A.M., Begossi, A. From Ethnobiology to Ecotoxicology: Fishers’ Knowledge on Trophic Levels as Indicator of Bioaccumulation in Tropical Marine and Freshwater Fishes. Ecosystems 19, 1310–1324 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-016-0002-2

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