ABSTRACT
The Río de la Plata estuary supports important artisanal and coastal fisheries in Uruguay and Argentina. The estuary and fisheries have been substantially influenced by human activities in recent decades and are vulnerable to climate extremes and changing precipitation patterns caused by climate change and variability (Camilloni and Barros, 2000; Nagy et al, 2002a; Nagy et al, 2006a). A self-sufficient artisanal fleet based on the Uruguayan shore at Pajas Blancas exploits fisheries within the estuarine frontal system. The fishermen of this artisanal fleet are impacted by changes in the fisheries that are driven by shifts in the location of the front, which are related to climate variations, and by symptoms of eutrophication, which are associated with human activities in the watershed but can be triggered by climatic events. Though subject to highly variable fish catch and incomes, until recently, the fishermen showed resilience over a wide range of conditions. In more recent years, however, they have been less resilient to the stresses to which they have been exposed.
