Sport fishing: in Pantanal mato-grossense, sector attracts 100 thousand tourists and moves more than US$ 1.8 million per year

The sector generates about 700 direct jobs, from pilots to cooks, and US$ 1.8 million in the Cuiabá River stretch alone (Reproduction)

April 11, 2022

12:04

Marcela Leiros – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The North Pantanal, which is in the State of Mato Grosso, receives annually about 100 thousand tourists who practice sport fishing. This is what the report “Livestock, Fishing and Ecotourism in the Pantanal”, developed by the Institute for Ecological Research (Ipê), Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) points out. Also according to the document, the sector generates around 700 direct jobs, from pilots to cooks, and US$ 1.8 million in the Cuiabá River stretch alone.

“The Pantanal wetland area is 179.3 thousand km² and stands out as a remarkable example of sustainable development,” the survey points out. “The region is one of the most preserved wetlands in the world, with more than 80% of its native vegetation still standing (Ibama, 2012). In addition, it is also home to healthy populations of threatened and endangered species, such as jaguar (Panthera onca), marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), and jabiru (Jabiru mycteria).”

The document classifies fishing into three main categories: artisanal and professional fishermen who fish for food and sell their fish in city markets; sport fishermen who come to the Pantanal to fish; and sporadic fishermen (diffuse fishermen) who live in Pantanal cities and sometimes fish for food.

“Today, the majority of the communities that live in the rural areas of the Pantanal have fishing as their main economic activity. Besides this, fishing is an important activity for tourism. Thousands of people come to the Pantanal every year for sport fishing in the Pantanal rivers. Some communities are also part of this activity, supplying bait to tourists”, the research also indicates.

Figures for artisanal/professional and diffuse fishing

The survey also shows that there are 9,663 artisanal fishermen registered in the Pantanal, 6,326 of them in Mato Grosso and 3,337 in Mato Grosso do Sul. The professional artisanal sector caught 5 million tons of fish, generating about US$14 million in 2018. “There are 18 professional fishermen colonies in the Pantanal. They work as fishermen’s unions and help them with their fishing rights and the paperwork to register their catches”, he also indicates.

Diffuse fishing, or sporadic fishing, on the other hand, attracts 1.4 million people who practice it, generating about US$270 million per year.

Ecotourism

Finally, the report indicates that ecotourists represent 22.4% of all tourists who go to the North Pantanal, and that only 10% of all tourists who arrive at Campo Grande airport go to the Pantanal.
go to the Pantanal.

Only 4.6% of all Pantanal tourists come from other countries and jaguar and bird watching tourism in the Pantanal generates US$ 6.8 million per year.

Check out the full document: