PRODUÇÃO E SOCIOECONOMIA DO SISTEMA CARANGUEJO-UÇÁ EM UNIDADE DE USO SUSTENTÁVEL DA COSTA NORTE DO BRASIL Production and socioeconomy of the mangrove crab production system in a unit for sustainable use in the Brazilian northern coast

The mangrove crab, Ucides cordatus, is formed of large benthic populations that bring benefits to the riverland communities that use mangrove resources for self consumption and/or trade. For their capture such primitive fishing gears as gaffs and hand-picking are made use of in the Caratateua, Tamatateua and Treme ones, northern Brazil, where that resource is particularly important. Besides getting information on catches, collection effort, and market and selling prices of the products, economic data on this activity between 2008 and 2010 were obtained. Most workers survive only on crab-picking plus the receipts that come from part-time agriculture practices, employing children and juveniles, so that the schooling level is very low. Overall, this fishery system still lacks management action and information as to how reduce the catching effort coupled with value-aggregation along the supply chain.