Planning a payment system for marine environmental services: science seeking to transform the trajectory of rays in synergy with artisanal fishermen and recreational divers on the coast of São Paulo

• Grant number: 23/11845-3
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Applied Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Fabio dos Santos Motta
• Grantee: Fabio dos Santos Motta
• Host Institution: Instituto do Mar (IMar). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Guilherme Henrique Pereira Filho ; Gustave Gilles Lopez ; Henrique Callori Kefalas ; José Edmilson de Araujo Mello Junior ; Laís Coutinho Zayas Jimenez ; Leandra Regina Gonçalves Torres ; Luiza de David Chelotti ; Maria de Carvalho Tereza Lanza ; Otto Bismarck Fazzano Gadig ; Rafael Romero Munhoz ; RONALDO SEROA DA MOTTA
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/15345-8 - Scientific Basis for the Development of a Payment for Marine Environmental Services Program Focused on Ray Conservation and the Management of Artisanal Fisheries in the State of São Paulo, BP.PD; 24/14884-2 - Occurrence and relative abundance of rays in São Paulo's islands: a study using Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs), BP.TT; 24/13584-5 - Using citizen science to assess the occurrence and abundance of rays in island systems of the São Paulo coast, BP.TT

Abstract

Rays are important mesopredators of the marine ecosystem. By controlling the population of their prey, they ensure the genetic quality of biodiversity and the health of the oceans. Rays are also a source of protein and income for fishing communities, as well as being among the favorite marine animals to be observed by recreational divers. Although they are captured by different types of fisheries, rays are particularly susceptible to overfishing due to their intrinsic biological characteristics. Faced with this scenario, rays are among the most endangered vertebrate groups on the planet (36% of species), being priority targets for research and conservation actions in latin america and worldwide. Considering that coastal areas function as nurseries for many rays species and that they tend to have greater post-capture survival, especially due to their gill ventilation, we believe that a financial incentive program for best fishing practices, including release of incidentally captured endangered species can contribute to the conservation of elasmobranchs and mitigate conflicts between fishermen and conservationist policies. Given this scenario, the present proposal aims to generate fundamental subsidies for the development of a payment for environmental service (PES) program focusing on rays conservation and fisheries management. The project is structured on three fronts of actions: i. citizen science testing as a method to assess the effectiveness of the PES system; ii. economic valuation through the willingness to pay of recreational divers and the willingness to receive of artisanal fishers; iii. design of the conceptual model of the PES system, considering critical aspects such as conditionality, financial mechanism, institutional arrangement, governance, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. We hope to produce, in a participatory manner, the empirical and operational bases for an unprecedented PES arrangement in Brazil, as well as establish a transparent dialogue with fishermen, adjusting expectations and strengthening the engagement of this sector in co-construction processes for biodiversity management. (AU)