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The presence of domestic animals in the wilderness has a negative effect on wildlife populationsor; for instance, in addition to habitat loss, urbanization, and coastal light pollution, sea turtles also suffer from another threat: the predation of their eggs, hatchlings, and even female nesters by domestic, feral, and/or wild animals. Domestic dogs are a considerable concern for turtles in nesting areas, due to their free-ranging lifestyle and the absence of predators. This study sought to evaluate the nest density and rates of sea turtle predation caused mainly by canids: foxes (native predator) and dogs (introduced predator) in the nesting areas of Southern Bahia, Brazil. Predation data was collected during field surveys and by using camera traps and hair traps installed in nests. During the sampling period, an average of 46 nests were laid by three sea turtle species: Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, and Lepidochelys olivacea; 46.4% were lost due to predation or inundation caused by the tides. Canine populations on the island have an evident impact on sea turtle nests. Thus, it is crucial to design and implement environmental education programs and management plans with the local community to help reduce human-made and natural loss of nests and safeguard sea turtle populations and their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first considerations and observations of the occurrence of the octopus Callistoctopus sp. on the coast of Brazil. Citizen science, used as a research approach, was fundamental to confirm the presence and delimit the distribution of this species on the Brazilian coast. In all, 187 interviews were conducted with octopus fishers in 17 localities surrounding six marine protected areas, between March 2018 and August 2019. During the development of the work, the number of volunteer participants significantly increased, from the initial 107 specialists to about 2180 local informants, including fishers, divers and diving instructors. By using citizen science, it was possible to extend the area of distribution of this new species from the three existing records of individuals captured for the state of Pernambuco and Bahia to 11 records for more than seven states. The citizen science approach was considered useful for the generation of data that complement scientific research, and its greatest obstacle for use in ethnobiological studies was the need to motivate volunteers to increase the robustness of the collected data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fishes of the Lutjanidae family are widely distributed throughout the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and have relevant commercial importance. Yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) is a targeted species in the smallscale fishery of the northeastern coast of Brazil, notably for handline fishing. We used the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of three generations of fishers from Ilhéus (southern Bahia State, Brazil) to evaluate the perception of weight, best day of capture and relative abundance of the species. More experienced fishers captured the largest specimens, had larger catches and were more likely to indicate a decrease in species abundance. On the other hand, younger fishers had smaller catches and were more likely to indicate that the species abundance is stable or increasing. The results suggest the occurrence of shifting baseline syndrome among fishers and emphasize the importance of including information from fishers in the construction of management measures. Fishers can play a key role in developing viable proposals that are aimed at the management of fishing of species with spawning aggregation, such as yellowtail snapper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts between humans and wildlife have been considered a huge obstacle to the management and conservation of fauna, and also lead to negative impacts for local populations. For this reason, from an ethnozoological perspective, the present work aimed to identify and analyze conflicts between farmers and the wild fauna in four communities of the Costa de ItacaréSerra Grande Environmental Protection Area, Bahia, Brazil, as well as diagnose the control measures used. The participants were selected using the snowball technique and data were collected using semistructured interviews, complemented by free listing techniques, nonspecific prompting, and reading back. Thirtyeight farmers were interviewed and they reported 45 species of wild animals, among which 23 were mammals, 17 were birds and 5 were reptiles. Conflicts were classified into five categories. Of these categories, animalcultivation and animallivestock interactions had the highest number of reported species. The farmers applied different control measures, including defensive methods, which are the most frequently used in the communities, offensive methods, and superstitious rituals. Positive interactions were also identified, in which some species are considered charismatic or recognized for their ecological role. Conflicts with wild fauna are recurrent in these communities; thus, it is necessary to guarantee social participation in the construction of effective strategies for conflict mitigation and fauna conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the practice of hunting by local people in the southern Bahia region of Brazil and provide information to support the implementation of the National Action Plan for Conservation of the Central Atlantic Forest Mammals, we conducted 351 interviews with residents of three protected areas and a buffer zone. Thirty-seven percent of respondents stated that they had captured an animal opportunistically, 16% hunted actively and 47% did not hunt. The major motivation for hunting was consumption but people also hunted for medicinal purposes, recreation and retaliation. The most hunted and consumed species were the paca Cuniculus paca , the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus and the collared peccary Pecari tajacu ; threatened species were rarely hunted. Opinions varied on whether wildlife was declining or increasing; declines were generally attributed to hunting. Our findings suggest there is illegal hunting for consumption in and around protected areas of the region. Management efforts should prioritize fairness in the expropriation process for people who must be relocated, and adopt an approach to wildlife management that involves residents living around the protected areas, and considers their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an analysis of the occurrence and the spatial and temporal distribution of marine turtle strandings found in the south of the State of Bahia. Data was collected between January 2006 and June 2008. This study covers an area of 220 km of the southern coast of Bahia State (northeastern Brazil), and spatial analyses were made considering data collected in three bases suported by Petrobras-Petróleo Brasileiro S/A distributed in the area. The records were sorted according to month and year, species, age group and sex. A total of 260 stranding were reported: 183 of Chelonia mydas (74.1%), the most frequent species. The highest number of strandings was recorded in Gamboa do Morro Base. Juveniles presented the highest densities, but no differences between adults and small juveniles were detected. Males were more frequently stranded in Gamboa do Morro Base, while females were more frequent in Ilhéus Base. An increase in the number of stranding between 2006 and 2008 was noted; moreover, the months with more records were January, February, March, October and December. The number of stranding events was discontinuously distributed in the study area. This study also demonstrated the usefulness of implement different strategies of recording marine turtle strandings: direct monitoring efforts (patrol) in remote beaches and educational campaigns applied on beaches frequented by tourists. This study demonstrated that, despite spatial nearby, the three bases attend independent biological systems and show different stranding dynamics, thus different conservancy actions should be implemented in order to improve the knowledge on natural history of sea-turtles in the southern coast of Bahia State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential tools for managing marine resources, but their effectiveness depends on the involvement of local communities and appropriate government policies. The present study sought to verify and compare the existence of Ostrom's principles in the Recife de Fora Marine Park ("RFMP") and the Coroa Alta Marine Park ("CAMP"), the only no-take marine areas located in the Royal Charlotte Bank, Bahia, east coast of Brazil, in order to determine the institutional robustness of these MPA. The methodology consisted of interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Sixty-one interviews were conducted with representatives of civil society, public sector, and the private sector, related to MPAs. The results showed that the RFMP has a more robust institution than the CAMP, considering the presence of eight Ostrom's principles in the RFMP and only one Ostrom's principle in the CAMP. In conclusion, the case observed in the RFMP demonstrates how small groups of users who interact according to common rules that are respected and accepted by the group, involving institutions at different scales, can help improve the governance of MPAs. On the other hand, the CAMP has failed to include society in the local context and to construct actions collectively aimed at the legitimacy of decisions for the MPA and, thus, it can be considered a "paper park", being necessary to completely reform the actions related this MPA. [Display omitted] • Measures aimed improve governance are crucial to effectiveness of protected areas. • Small groups of users can improve the governance of marine protected areas. • Ostrom's principles presence reinforces marine protected areas effectiveness. • Marine protected areas effectiveness depends of the local communities involvement. • This study shows that small steps can improve the governance of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis is widely distributed north of the Antarctic convergence. We analysed data concerning vagrant individuals of A. tropicalis encountered on the beaches of Bahia and Sergipe, north-eastern Brazil, using the Instituto Mamíferos Aquáticos database of occurrences reported between 20 July 1990 and 18 August 2005. The information collected for each case included: date, location of the occurrence, condition of the individual, sex, and total length. Twelve occurrences of A. tropicalis were reported in the study area, with 42% corresponding to sub-adult specimens. All individuals were found alive, but only two were in good health. Most occurrences were reported during the months of July, August and September, a period in which south-eastern winds predominate. The importance of developing public educational campaigns as well as population dynamics studies of this species is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wild and domestic animals and their by-products are important ingredients in the preparation of medicines traditionally used in folk medicine, present in various human cultures since antiquity. However, the decline in the number of species in neotropical regions as a result of hunting for various purposes, including food, medicine and magico-religious use, has placed some species - especially endemic species - at risk of extinction. In this context, the present study aimed to identify the wild vertebrate species used in folk medicine in five communities in the region surrounding the Serra do Conduru State Park (PESC), Bahia, Brazil. Forty-five hunter-farmers were interviewed, citing 23 species, from which 17 raw materials are extracted for prevention and/or treatment of 19 illnesses. Mammals were the most cited taxon followed by birds and reptiles. Among the species mentioned, Cuniculus paca is the most used for zootherapy purposes, followed by Salvator merianae and Sphiggurus insidiosus. There was dissimilarity between the communities in relation to the diversity of species used for zootherapy. Ten categories of body systems were classified for which the therapeutic resources are recommended. Disorders related to the middle and inner ear were the most cited. Some of the species mentioned are endangered, such as Bradypus torquatus and Lachesis muta. This research demonstrated that zootherapy is a traditional practice embedded in these communities. Further studies are needed to broaden knowledge of other species that may have important cultural value for these families, as well as to evaluate the potential implications of the uncontrolled use of these species in traditional medicine in an ecological context, since the practice of zootherapy can excerpt pressure on critical animal populations and threaten biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]