Conscious consumption and fauna conservation: genetic identification of top predators of the marine ecosystem sold under the name of cação in São Paulo Southwest

• Grant number: 18/21043-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2018
• End date: November 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Alexandra Sanches
• Grantee: Beatriz Queiroz
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências da Natureza (CCN). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Campus de Lagoa do Sino. Buri , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Protecting sharks and rays is a difficult action due several factors. Elasmobranchs are non-charismatic animals and have biological characteristics that delay the process of recovery of its populations, such as late sexual maturation, long gestational period and low fecundity. In addition, anthropic actions have been negatively influencing population structures with marine pollution, habitat loss and overfishing. Brazil is one of the largest importers of cartilaginous fishes meats and at the same time exports fins for Asian countries, contributing with the "finning", activity that consists in ripping out the fins, consumed in many Asian countries. The fish meat from human consumption is sold under the name of "cação", without information for the consumers about the species it belongs. The general term makes the process of conservation even more difficult. In this context, molecular markers (COI) will be used to identify each organism in species level and categorize them according to the criteria of national and IUCN red lists. Besides that, a diagnostic will evaluate the knowledge of the regional population about "cação". The results of the species consumed, its conservation status and the diagnostic will serve to propose an environmental activity to sensitize the lay public and contribute to the diffusion of the academic-scientific knowledge in schools around Lagoa do Sino.