Characterization and evolution of spearfishing in Madeira archipelago, Eastern Atlantic

Abstract

Data obtained from licenses of spearfishers and surveys conducted in 2004 and 2017 allowed for the analysis, for the first time, of the practice of spearfishing in the Madeira archipelago. Only a small percentage of the population practices spearfishing, mostly local young men. Most of them practice the activity with a partner throughout most of the year and along most of the island's coastal areas, although preferentially along the North and Southeast coast. Results show how, in recent years, despite the population of spearfishers decreasing, the abundance in the annual catch potentially increased, probably due to the higher investment of time in this activity. It has been observed that many fishers complement their catches with manual collecting of invertebrates. Overall, 40 teleost fishes and also 4 crustaceans and 8 molluscs were identified. The most frequently captured fish species were parrotfish and white seabream, while limpets were the most collected invertebrates in both selected periods.