Leandro Castello, Ph.D.

Research

Leandro Castello, seen above piloting a boat, will engage local fishermen in generating catch rate data and other critical fisheries information in Brazil.

© Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Using fishers’ knowledge of catch rates to conserve tropical fisheries

Leandro Castello, Ph.D., studies the ecology and conservation of fish and fisheries in relation to global change processes. He aims to improve the state of affairs for fish resources and fishing communities. His research often includes humans, adopts an ecosystem-based perspective, and makes use of approaches from various fields.

Tropical fisheries produce roughly one-third of the global fish yield. However, a lack of governmental and other institutional data on the abundance of targeted stocks has hampered effective management of these fisheries. Previous research has demonstrated that when data are unavailable, the knowledge and experience of fishers can be an important alternative information source. Fishers often can provide input on current and historical catch rates, such as how many fish were caught per hour.

Castello will use his Pew marine fellowship to develop, implement, and evaluate a cost-effective approach for generating catch rate data and other critical fisheries information. His research will focus on Brazil and will seek to better understand the factors that influence fishers’ knowledge of their catch rates. Based on the lessons learned, he will produce a handbook of practical guidelines and best practices for fishers and government staff to develop their own catch rate data and apply it in management. He will also work with fishing communities to implement this approach.

To learn more about Castello, read his bio.

See the full list of 2017 Pew marine fellows.