CADEIA PRODUTIVA DO “CATADO” DE ARATU Goniopsis cruentata EM COMUNIDADES PESQUEIRAS DO ESTADO DE SERGIPE, BRASIL

This study aimed to carry out a diagnosis of the catching and of the processing of aratu meat, called “catado,” and to propose improvements for its processing. This fishing resource, important for the fishing communities in the Brazilian Northeast, generates employment and income for many artisanal fisherwomen (marisqueiras). Yet, the production of “catado” is carried out in a rudimentary way, as for instance in comunidade Preguiça (a municipality of Indiaroba), a typical fishing community on the Sergipe coast. Therefore, a survey was carried out for the preparation of a participatory diagnosis in order to identify the stages of the process, from the preparation of the marisqueiras for the capture to the realization of the "catado," and the problems related to the processing that compromise the end product quality. Some steps were proposed, such as improving hygiene during the preparation and the use of vacuum packaging, with its own logo, in order to identify the “catado” of aratu processed in that community.