AQUAPESQUISA: strategic diagnosis of institutions suppliers and demanders of technology in fisheries and aquaculture

Abstract

The research project named Aquapesquisa aimed to do a survey and a database of public and private organizations, suppliers and demanders of technologies and knowledge of the Brazilian national fishing and aquaculture sector and, afterwards, with the application of a quantitative survey to the registered organizations, characterize and describe the profile of the companies in this sector. The first stage of this survey was conducted between February and December of 2012, which was the search for institutions that fit the categories: research and development; rural extension and technical assistance; science and technology; fishing colonies and associations. In this first stage 3,480 institutions were identified throughout Brazil. On a second stage, which was held between December of 2012 and July of 2013, the identified institutions were asked to answer voluntarily to some questionnaires, with 273 institutions responding to the survey. For this survey, four questionnaires were developed by the technical staff of Embrapa Fisheries and Aquaculture; the main questionnaire applied to all institutions, while the other 3 specific questionnaires were applied according with the area of work developed by each institution. The questionnaires were applied in electronic media via web or through phone calls. The results obtained from this survey is a diagnosis of the sector, presenting, among other information: the profile of the institutions that responded to the survey; the main aquatic species used in the work undertaken in each region; the main methods used for technology transfer; the main sponsors of research projects; the main public who have used the developed technologies; a list of the courses in fishing and aquaculture offered by the educational institutions and; the main demands of the technical assistance professionals for technologies and knowledge in fishing and aquaculture. It also presents a register of researchers and their respective areas of research.