COMPETITION FOR SPACE BETWEEN FISHING AND EXPLORATORY OIL DRILLING, OBSERVED FROM A DRILLING PLATFORM IN THE ESPIRITO SANTO BASIN, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Fishing and oil drilling compete for space in some regions off the Brazilian coast. Fish congregate around drilling platforms, which attracts fishing vessels that may illegally breach the 500 m safety perimeter. The objective of this study was to identify the fleets that frequent the safety zone of a platform and their behavior and to determine if there was a seasonal relationship in this interaction, during two exploration campaigns, in different periods, carried out on the "Ocean Star" platform in the Espírito Santo Basin. The results indicated a high incidence of artisanal fishing vessels inside the prohibited area, and of uncooperative behavior on the part of the boat crews. The statistical method of Factorial Correspondence Analysis distinguished vessels that were using pelagic longlines to fish for dolphinfish, registered in the state of Espírito Santo and longer than 11 m, which operated during the summer campaign. Vessels fishing for scombrids, which were less than 11 m long and registered outside Espírito Santo, were prominent in the autumn-winter campaign. In conclusion, the data showed that the fleets involved in each exploratory campaign were different, but to determine the real reason why the boats insist on frequenting the area close to the platform further study is necessary.