A etnoictiologia como ferramenta para o desenvolvimento de ações de Educação Ambiental em comunidades do Baixo São Francisco

Abstract

Environmental education activities were developmented with students from public schools located in the Propriá (SE) and the Porto Real do Colégio (AL) municipalities of the Lower São Francisco. Such practices had as theoretical basis Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) information of fishermen, as well as scientific knowledge of the São Francisco River available in the literature. To obtain the fishermen LEK, were conducted interviews with 20 fishermen of each city through the use of semi-structured questionnaires. The fishermen reported that the main commercial fish species in the São Francisco River practically do not occur in the region since the construction of the Xingó hydroelectric power plant, which for years have entailed their economic and social problems. Native, migratory and economically important species such as Matrinxã, Pira, Surubim, Dourado and Mandim, have become rare in the region, and species as Pirambeba, Pacu CD and Tucunaré are frequents. This information was consistent with data from scientific surveys carried out in the region by the Laboratório de Ictiologia da Unviersidade Federal de Sergipe, as well as the information available in the literature. During the activities of Environmental Education, the students answered several questions by dialogued expository approach. They demonstrated little knowledge of the main native and commercial fish species of the São Francisco river, however recognized species introduced as Pacu CD, Tilapia, Tucunaré and Tambaqui. This can be justified by the low occurrence of commercial native species in the region, and the frequent sale of non-native species in fairs and markets, which the students have more contact. Posteriorly the students were directed to the fish farm to see the larvae and reproductive procedures performed there, and later conducted on the river to make the stocking of native species of São Francisco. Such activities have led interaction, enthusiasm and involvement of students with the fish and the environment, emphasizing that environmental education practices can awaken young people's awareness and interest in environmental causes, and who knows, stimulate the formation of citizens aware that they can act in defense of the São Francisco River and its communities.