Potencial de desenvolvimento da piscicultura e da pesca na barragem Epitácio Pessoa após a transposição das águas do rio São Francisco

Abstract

For several decades, public dams located in the area that today is the Eastern Axis of the transposition of waters from the São Francisco River Basin to the Paraíba River Basin reflected in the economic activities of the Cariri Paraibano region the perverse effects of droughts, with possible consequences, ranging from the loss of production, through the increase in population impoverishment, to the exodus of its inhabitants to safer areas of survival. The objective of this work is to analyze the reality of fishing and fish farming, two important economic activities around the Epitácio Pessoa dam, better known as Boqueirão; This source is responsible for supplying the population of Campina Grande and 16 other municipalities in its surroundings, and the study sought to find out how these activities were or could be impacted (positively or negatively) by the arrival of water from the transposition of the São Francisco River. To this end, exploratory research was carried out on different aspects related to such activities, starting with a survey aimed at surveying the socioeconomic profile of fishermen and fish farmers, current and potential production, in addition to the factors that condition the development of fishing and fish farming and, consequently, the local economy as a whole. To this end, a bibliographical research was carried out on the themes of transposition, fishing and fish farming, complemented by socioeconomic research to prepare a succinct diagnosis of the activities mentioned above and how these were and/or will be impacted in the future with the arrival of waters from the São Francisco River transposition project. The research results indicated that, in general, the first impacts of the transposition were all positive, as they were short- and medium-term impacts, while the long-term impacts are still under analysis by the technical and scientific communities. Benefits such as household supply to cities located in the region of immediate influence of the Eastern Axis, water for animal drinking and the exploitation of small areas with agriculture and livestock proved to be short and medium term impacts, and it remains to be seen what the long term impacts could be deadlines, such as the recovery and revitalization of artisanal fishing and the potential for development of fish farming, and how this will impact activities complementary to those, such as fish trade and in general, tourism and leisure, to name just the main ones.