Title: Ecologia da pesca artesanal no Lago Paranoá - Brasília-DF
Abstract: Artisanal fisheries in urban reservoirs supply rent and cheap protein to poor people.In Lake Paranoá (Brasília, Brazil), the artisanal fishery was prohibited from 1966 to 1999, but the fishery legislation was approved during the course of this work (1999)(2000).Accordingly, the purpose of this work was to characterize the fishery in Paranoá reservoir, and to provide information relevant to the fishery legislation.The artisanal fishery activity involves 55 active fishermen, that originate from the most needy cities of Brasil ia.The fishermen work alone or in pairs, in boats with oars.The fishing gears used were gillnets, cast nets and gillnets used in active way (''redes de batida'').During March 1999 to March 2000, the catch was 62,750 Kg from 1,498 fishing trips accomplished by 21,4 fishermen/month on average, with a mean yield of 41,7 Kg/trip and 224,6 Kg/fishermen/month.The main commercial species caught were the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus(84,9%) and the common carp Cyprinus carpio (11,1 %).The fish are not only sold by fishermen in the streets and fairs of the Brasil ia satellites cities and nearby cities, but the fish are also sold to other fish seller or restaurants.The fishermen make R$2,12/Kg or R$1,23/kg, respectively.In spite of the fact that fishery in Lake e Paranoá is more lucrative than in other reservoirs in Brazil, during the course of this work, most fishermen abandoned the fishery for worse employment, because of the fishery ban.Fortunately, the fishery legislation was approved on December 1999, andas result, this law will produce employment, rent and food for the poor people of Brasil ia.