Conservation efforts and awareness campaigns for the marine manatee (Trichechus manatus) preservation along the northearstern coast of Brazil

Resumo

Due to high hunting pressure practiced against marine manatees since the period of colonization of Brazil, it was found the reduction of the remaining populations. Despite the ban on laws prohibiting hunting of manatees, only in the early 80's that a strategy to promote conservation of the species began to be structured. Thus, this paper reports the development of the first two stages of the Plan of Work Center Peixe-Boi/IBAMA, with emphasis on the Awareness Campaign. The campaign was to reach the coastal area of Sergipe to Piauí, and the route taken by a mobile unit called "Igarakuê", which is a Toyota 4x4 Bandeirantes. Interviews were conducted with fishermen, given lectures to students and residents of local communities, linking audio messages on radio and in printed articles and broadcast. During these occasions were distributed posters, books, shirts and brochures. At the end of the activities, approximately 2,000 km of coastline were covered, with 199 locations visited, 522 people interviewed and 40 speeches conducted. With it, it was possible to establish an exchange of information among researchers involved and the fishermen, where it was found knowledge of the local population about the existing legislation prohibiting hunting of the species. The material played an important role in education still serving as a tool for illustration. A network consisting of 63 employees, who came to help us stranding events involving marine manatees. It was concluded that the mobile unit "Igarakuê" played an important role in spreading the message of preservation of the manatee, triggering an educational process, that with its success and continuity, can lead to behavioral change in coastal communities and the cooperation needed to reverse the sirenian process of extinction.