Contribution of the oyster farming as a factor of family income: study case of the Alphaville Foundation Project of Communitarian Oyster Farming, Eusébio county, Ceará State

Abstract

Traditional communities of Ceará State’s coastal zone are suffering with the decline of fi sheries and extractive production as well as lack of employment opportunities. The communitarian oyster farming is being considered as a sustainable activity and adapted to local environmental conditions which can be economically exploited through common pool resource use. Given that, this study aims to assess the economic return of the communitarian oyster farming and verify in which proportion this activity contributes to the family income. This study was carried out in the Mangabeira community located at Eusébio, Ceará State, where a productive association dedicated to mangrove oyster cultivation in the Pacoti River has been established. The methodology consisted fi rst of carrying out a socio-economic assessment of the communitarian association and, afterwards, analyzing the oyster farming costs, returns and sensitivity. The results showed that the communitarian oyster farming requires low investment costs, allows high and robust returns and contributes signifi cantly to the family’s income formation.