Natural resource appropriation in cooperative artisanal fishing between fishermen and dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Laguna, Brazil

Access control and exploitation restrictions are problems related to common property resources. In Laguna, Brazil, there is a communal property system where fishermen and dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) participate in cooperative fishing, taking advantage of the same prey, the mullet (Mugil spp.). Cooperative fishing is dependent upon institutions (rules, norms and regulations) adopted and obeyed by the fishermen themselves. This study aims to analyze the existence of implemented institutions in cooperative fishing, its implications on the management of local resources and possible consequences of external interferences. Through these institutions enforced by local fishermen, they can regulate, supervise and also exclude outsiders in almost all fishing areas.