PERFIL SOCIOECONÔMICO E PERCEPÇÃO AMBIENTAL DE TIRADORES DE CARANGUEJO-UÇÁ NO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO CAETANO DE ODIVELAS, PARÁ, BRASIL.

Uça crab is an important fishing resource that proportionate the occupation for labor force, as well as income and food for communities living along the mangrove zone all over Brazil. In the municipality of São Caetano de Odivelas, located in the Northeast of Pará, constitutes a fundamental element for subsistence and social reproduction of fishermen communities. This paper characterizes the socio economic profile and assesses the socio environmental perceptions of uça crab hunters of São Caetano de Odivelas. The sample consisting of 31 hunters who answered a semi-structured questionnaire. The results indicate that there is predominance of male work in crab hunting and that the families have been living in the same communities for more than three decades. The level of education is low, indicating that 74% did not finish grade school. The hunting method that predominates is the traditional one using the hands, and sometimes, predatory devices such as a lasso. The environmental problems more often related are the excessive capture, mentioned by 30.65% of the respondents, non-compliance with the closing season (29.03%) and the use of predatory devices (19.35%). This suggests a closer surveillance during the closing season, and implementation of public policies of labor qualification, income generation, conservation of the crab stock and the mangrove ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]