Length distribution of the stingrays Dasyatis guttata and Dasyatis americana off Ceará State, as a function of the fishing gear

Abstract

The stingrays of genus  Dasyatis are important  fishing resources in Ceará State, Brazil. The main objective of this  paper is to study the  fishery of  D. guttata and  D. americana , with the aim of using the results as tools for improving its  management. Sampling for the stocks was carried out in Fortaleza, Caucaia and Aquiraz counties, in Ceará State, Brazil,  as by-catch material by the trawlnet and gillnet  fisheries and landings from the hook-and-line and harpooning  fisheries,  during the years of 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The data analysis produced the following results:  Dasyatis  guttata was considered a target species of hook-and-line  fishery, being also caught as by-catch in the shrimp and lobster  fisheries with trawlnets and gillnets; Dasyatis americana was a target species of hook-and-line  fishery and harpooning  fisheries, being caught on mud and sand bottoms, respectively;