Long-term changes in a tropical coastal recreational fishery

There is no functional reporting system for Brazilian recreational fisheries. This study aimed at identifying which species were caught during competitive fishing events promoted by the Pâmpano Esporte Clube in Rio Grande do Norte (northeastern Brazil) in 2009 to set a baseline for assessing future changes. Additionally, catch data for 1974–1994 were used to test two hypotheses: species composition changed over time; and the mean weight of each main species decreased over time. Seventy species or taxonomic units were caught in 2009. The highest numerical proportion was for Haemulopsis corvinaeformis (44.6%) and catfishes Aspistor sp. and Sciades sp. (14.3%). The highest proportion in weight was for Aspistor sp. and Sciades sp. (19.4%), followed by H. corvinaeformis (16.6%). Haemulopsis corvinaeformis’s abundance increased from the 1970s to 2009, which may be associated with the increasing number of trammel nets leading to decreasing abundance of other species except for H. corvinaeformis due to its burying behavior. Additionally, sharks were caught in the 1970s–1990s, but not in 2009. Mean weight decreased for the great pompano and pufferfishes during the same period and increased only for threadfins. Estuaries should not be used for competitive fishing events due to the high potential for juvenile capture.