According to estimates by the Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Brazil is among the world’s top twenty sardine producers. In 2011, over a million tons of sardine were produced, and 38.7% of that was obtained through extractive fishing.  With annual hauls of 100 thousand tons since 2012, the Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis) constitutes one of the country’s leading fisheries resources.

“The Sardine Project: Technico-scientific Support for the Management Plan for the Sustainable Use of the Brazilian Sardine in Southeastern Brazil” is led by the Vale do Itajaí University Foundation. Among the planned actions are diagnostics on the impact of purse seine fishing, description of population dynamics and stock estimates, as well as the quantification of Brazilian sardine use as baitfish.