Data from: Ecological persistence and spatial marginalization shape artisanal fisheries along the Brazilian coast

Artisanal fisheries support millions of livelihoods worldwide, yet accelerating coastal urbanization, tourism expansion, and environmental degradation are increasingly reshaping the ecosystems and territories where fishing communities persist. Across many tropical coasts, these fisheries are becoming concentrated within environmentally sensitive habitats and socially marginalized regions, potentially operating as displaced socio-ecological communities under uneven coastal development. Here, we integrated records from 344,289 artisanal fishers with socioeconomic, environmental, and landscape indicators across 364 municipalities spanning the Brazilian coastline where these fishers are officially registered, to identify the major drivers of fisher distribution and social vulnerability. We found that artisanal fishers were strongly associated with mangrove-dominated and less-developed coastal systems, while municipalities characterized by higher urbanization, tourism potential, and stronger socioeconomic indicators consistently supported fewer fishers. These patterns suggest spatial configurations consistent with processes of territorial exclusion and displacement, pointing to the persistence of artisanal fisheries in territories less integrated into dominant coastal development trajectories. Notably, women comprised the majority of registered fishers (51.7%) and were particularly associated with estuarine and shore-based fishing systems, highlighting the gendered dimensions of human–ecosystem interactions in small-scale fisheries. Furthermore, fisher concentrations were also positively associated with sustainable-use protected areas. Our findings indicate that artisanal fishes are concentrated in transitional coastal ecosystems where environmental conservation, limited urban expansion, and traditional resource use remain compatible. Rather than representing residual economic sectors, these fisheries may function as indicators of both ecological persistence and social exclusion under contemporary coastal development. Policies aimed at sustaining small-scale fisheries must therefore move beyond production-focused management to address territorial rights, gender equity, and the uneven social consequences of coastal transformation.