Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Non-native fish in aquaculture and sport fishing in Brazil: economic benefits versus risks to fish diversity in the upper River Paraná Basin

  • Reviews
  • Published:
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Brazil has a highly diverse freshwater fish fauna and their freshwaters provide valuable provisioning ecosystem services in aquaculture and sport angling, especially in the developed regions in the south. Non-native fish now comprise a substantial proportion of the total aquaculture production and value, contributing at least $US 250 million in 2008 (63% of the total value of freshwater fish aquaculture) according to the Fish and Agriculture Organisation. Much of this aquaculture activity is centred in Central and Southern Brazil, such as impounded sections of the upper River Paraná. The non-native fishes used tend to feed at relatively low trophic levels, with the most prominently species being Cyprinus carpio and Oreochromis niloticus. Ecological risk assessment suggests these species are potentially highly invasive and deleterious to the native fish diversity of invaded water bodies. Fishes introduced for the creation of sport fisheries tend feed higher trophic levels through piscivory, such as the peacock basses (Cichla species) from Amazonia. Their introductions have generally resulted in establishment and invasion, which tends to be followed by significant and rapid declines in native fish diversity as a consequence of increased predation pressure. Thus, whilst non-native fish in the upper Paraná River support provisioning ecosystem services of substantial economic value, the principal species used represent high risks to fish diversity and conservation. It is recommended local management should concentrate on reducing these risks through use of more appropriate species in these ecosystem services, with these decisions derived using risk assessment and precautionary principles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agostinho AA, Thomaz SM, Gomes LC (2005) Conservation of the biodiversity of Brazil’s inland waters. Conserv Biol 19:646–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agostinho AA, Thomaz SM, Gomes LC, Baltar SLSMA (2007) Influence of the macrophyte Eichhornia azurea on fish assemblage of The Upper Paraná River floodplain (Brazil). Aquat Ecol 41:611–619

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Agostinho AA, Pelicice FM, Gomes LC (2008) Dams and the fish fauna of the Neotropical Region: impacts and management related to diversity and fisheries. Brazilian J Biol 68:1119–1132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Attayde JL, Okun N, Brasil J, Menezes RF, Mesquita P (2007) Impactos da introducao da tilapia do Nilo, Oreochromis niloticus, sobre a estrutura trofica dos ecossistemas aquaticos do Bioma Caatinga. Oecologia Brasiliensis 11:450–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baltz DM, Moyle PB (1993) Invasion resistance to introduced species by a native assemblage of California stream fishes. Ecol Appl 3:246–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Barletta M, Jaureguizar AJ, Baigun C, Fontoura NF, Agostinho AA, Almeida-Val VMF, Val AL, Torres RA, Jimenes-Segura LF, Giarrizzo T, Fabré NN, Batista VS, Lasso C, Taphorn DC, Costa MF, Chaves PT, Vieira JP, Corrêa MFM (2010) Fish and aquatic habitat conservation in South America: a continental overview with emphasis on neotropical systems. J Fish Biol 76:2118–2176

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barroso de Magalhães AL, Casatti L, Vitule JRS (2011) Changes in the Brazilian Forest Law will promote non-native species of freshwater fish. Natureza Conservação 9:121–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouletreau S, Cucherousset J, Villeger S, Masson R, Santoul F (2011) Colossal aggregations of giant alien freshwater fish as a potential biogeochemical hotspot. Plos One 6:e25732

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Britton JR, Boar RR, Grey J, Foster J, Lugonzo J, Harper D (2007) From introduction to fishery dominance: the initial impacts of the invasive carp Cyprinus carpio in Lake Naivasha, Kenya, 1999 to 2006. J Fish Biol 71(supplement D):239–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Britton JR, Cucherousset J, Davies GD, Godard M, Copp GH (2010) Non-native fishes and climate change: predicting species responses to warming temperatures in a temperate region. Freshw Biol 55:1130–1141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Britton JR, Copp GH, Vilizzi L, Brazier M, Davies GD (2011a) A modular assessment tool for managing introduced fishes according to risks of species and their populations, and impacts of management actions. Biol Invasions 13:2847–2860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Britton JR, Gozlan RE, Copp GH (2011b) Managing non-native fish in the environment. Fish Fish 12:256–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckup PA, Menezes NA, Ghazzi MS (2007) Catálogo das espécies de peixes de água doce do Brasil. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambray JA (2005) African’s Clarias gariepinus (Teleostei: Clariidae) appears in rivers in Brazil. Afr J Aquat Sci 30:201–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cambray JA, Stuart CT (1985) Aspects of the biology of the rare redfin minnow Barbus burchelli (Pisces, Cyprinidae), from South Africa. South Afr J Zool 20:155–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Canonico GC, Arthington A, McCrary JK, Thieme ML (2005) The effects of introduced tilapias on native biodiversity. Aquat Conserv 15:463–483

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capra LG, Bennemann ST (2009) Low feeding overlap between Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) and Cichla monoculus (Spix & Agassiz, 1831), fishes introduced in tropical reservoir of South Brazil. Acta Limnol Bras 21:343–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Casal CMV (2006) Global documentation of fish introductions: the growing crisis and recommendations for action. Biol Invasions 8:3–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CBD (2012) Invasive alien species. http://www.cbd.int/invasive/. Last accessed 13 Jan 2012

  • CEFAS (2011) Decision support tools: invasive species identification kits http://www.cefas.co.uk/media/410780/decisiontools_description.pdf. Accessed 20 April 2011

  • Cooke SL, Hill WR, Meyer KP (2009) Feeding at different plankton densities alters invasive bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) growth and zooplankton species composition. Hydrobiologia 6:185–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copp GH, Garthwaite R, Gozlan RE (2005a) Risk identification and assessment of non-native freshwater fishes: a summary of concepts and perspectives on protocols for the UK. J Appl Ichthyol 21:371–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copp GH, Wesley KJ, Vilizzi L (2005b) Pathways of ornamental and aquarium fish introductions into urban ponds of Epping Forest (London, England): the human vector. J Appl Ichthyol 21:263–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copp GH, Vilizzi L, Mumford JD, Godard MJ, Fenwick G, Gozlan RE (2009) Calibration of FISK, an invasiveness screening tool for non-native freshwater fishes. Risk Anal 29:457–467

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cowx IG (1998) Stocking and introduction of fish. Fishing news books. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Darrigran G, Damborenea C, Drago EC, Ezcurra de Drago I, Paira A (2011) Environmental factors restrict the invasion process of Limnoperna fortunei (Mytilidae) in the Neotropical Region: a case study from the Andean tributaries. Ann Limnol 57:221–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espínola L, Minte-Vera C, Horácio J (2010) Invasibility of reservoirs in the Paraná Basin, Brazil, to Cichla kelberi, Kullander and Ferreira 2006. Biol Invasions 12:1873–1888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2011a) Global aquaculture production 1950 to 2009. http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/TabSelector. Accessed 19 April 2011

  • FAO (2011b) FishStat Plus—universal software for fishery statistical time series. http://www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/software/fishstat/en. Accessed 18 April 2011

  • FAO (2011c) Cultured aquatic species information programme: Oncorhynchus mykiss. http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Oncorhynchus_mykiss/en. Accessed 20 April 2011

  • Fausch KD (2007) Introduction, establishment and effects of non-native salmonids: considering the risk of rainbow trout invasion in the United Kingdom. J Fish Biol 71(Supplement D):1–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueredo CC, Giani A (2005) Ecological interactions between Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) and the phytoplanktonic community of the Furnas Reservoir (Brazil). Freshw Biol 50:1391–1403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godinho AL, Fonseca MT, Araújo LM (1994) The ecology of predator fish introduction: the case of Rio Doce Valley lakes. In: Sperling E, Pinto-Coelho RM, Sperling A (eds) Ecology and human impact on lakes and reservoirs in Minas Gerais with special reference to future development strategies. Segrac, Belo Horizonte, pp 77–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomiero LM, Carmassi AL, Rondineli GR, Villares GA Jr, Braga FMS (2010a) Growth and mortality of Cichla spp. (Perciformes, Cichlidae) introduced in Volta Grande Reservoir (Grande River) and in a small artificial lake in Southeastern Brazil. Braz J Biol 70:1093–1101

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomiero LM, Villares Junior GA, Naous F (2010b) Seasonal and ontogenetic variations in the diet of Cichla kelberi Kullander and Ferreira, 2006 introduced in an artificial lake in southeastern Brazil. Braz J Biol 70:1033–1037

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gozlan RE (2008) Introduction of non-native freshwater fish: is it all bad? Fish Fish 9:106–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gozlan RE (2009) Response by R Gozlan, biodiversity crisis and the introduction of non-native fish: solutions, not scapegoats. Fish Fish 10:109–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gozlan RE (2010) The cost of non-native aquatic species introductions in Spain: fact or fiction? Aquat Invas 5:231–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gozlan RE, Britton JR, Cowx IG, Copp GH (2010) Current knowledge on non-native freshwater fish introductions. J Fish Biol 76:751–786

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gratwicke B, Marshall BE (2001) The relationship between the exotic predators Micropterus salmoides and Serranochromis robustus and native stream fishes in Zimbabwe. J Fish Biol 58:68–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gubiani EA, Gomes LC, Agostinho AA, Okada EK (2007) Persistence of fish populations in the upper Paraná River: effects of water regulation by dams. Ecol Freshw Fish 16:191–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurgel JJS, Fernando CH (1994) Fisheries in semiarid northeast Brazil with special reference to the role of tilapias. Int Rev Gesamten Hydrobiol 79:77–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hickley P, Chare S (2004) Fisheries for non-native species in England and Wales: angling or the environment? Fish Manag Ecol 11:203–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hickley P, Boar RR, Britton JR, Muchiri M (2004) Discovery of carp in the already stressed fishery of Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Fish Manag Ecol 10:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Holley MH, Maceina MJ, Thomé-Souza M, Forsberg BR (2008) Analysis of the trophy sport fishery for the speckled peacock bass in the Rio Negro River. Brazil Fish Manag Ecol 15:93–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irons KS, Sass GG, McClelland MA, Stafford JD (2007) Reduced condition factor of two native fish species coincident with invasion of non-native Asian carps in the Illinois River, U.S.A. Is this evidence for competition and reduced fitness? J Fish Biol 71:258–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Júlio Júnior HF, Dei Tós C, Agostinho AA, Pavanelli CS (2009) A massive invasion of fish species after eliminating a natural barrier in the upper Rio Paraná basin. Neotropical Ichthyol 7:709–718

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kadye WT, Booth AJ (2011) Integrating stomach content and stable isotope analyses to elucidate the feeding habits of non-native sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Biol Invasions. doi:10.1007/s10530-011-0116-6

  • Lapointe NWR, Pendleton RM, Angermeier PL (2012) A comparison of approaches for estimating relative impacts of non-native fishes. Environ Manag 18:82–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Latini AO, Petrere M Jr (2004) Reduction of a native fish fauna by alien species: an example from Brazilian freshwater tropical lakes. Fish Manage Ecol 11:71–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazzarotto H, Caramaschi EP (2009) Introdução da truta no Brasil e na bacia do rio Macaé, Estado do Rio de Janeiro:histórico, legislação e perspectivas. Oecologia Brasiliensis 13:649–659

    Google Scholar 

  • Leprieur F, Brosse S, García-Berthou E, Oberdorff T, Olden JD, Townsend CR (2009) Scientific uncertainty and the assessment of risks posed by non-native freshwater fishes. Fish Fish 10:88–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magalhães ALB, Jacobi CM (2008) Ornamental exotic fish introduced into Atlantic Forest water bodies, Brazil. Neotropical Biol Conserv 2:73–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Milli PSM, Teixiera RL (2006) Notas ecológicas do bagre-africano, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Teleostei, Clariidae), de um córrego do sudeste do Brasil. Bol Mus Biol Mello Leitão 19:45–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Ntiba MJ, Kudoja WM, Mukasa CT (2001) Management issues in the Lake Victoria watershed. Lakes Reserv Res Manag 6:211–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nuñez MA, Pauchard A (2010) Biological invasions in developing and developed countries: does one model fit all? Biol Invasions 12:707–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okun N, Brasil J, Attayde JL, Costa IAS (2008) Omnivory does not prevent trophic cascades in pelagic food webs. Freshw Biol 53:129–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Orsi ML, Agostinho AA (1999) Introdução de peixes por escape acidental de tanques de cultura em rios da Bacia do Rio Paraná. Brasil Rev Brás Zool 16:557–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelicice FM, Agostinho AA (2009) Fish fauna destruction after the introduction of a non-native predator (Cichla kelberi) in a Neotropical reservoir. Biol Invasions 11:1789–1801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitcher T (1999) Evaluating the benefits of sport fisheries. Fisheries centre research reports, vol 7, no 2, 169 p

  • Robertson DR (2008) Global biogeographic databases on marine fishes: caveat emptor. Divers Distrib 14:891–892

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rocha GRA (2008) The introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) into Brazilian inland waters: a growing threat. Neotrop Ichthyol 6:693–696

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodewald AD (2012) Spreading messages about invasives. Divers Distrib 18:97–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross LG, Martinez Palacios CA, Morales EJ (2008) Developing native fish species for aquaculture: the interacting demands of biodiversity, sustainable aquaculture and livelihoods. Aquac Res 39:675–683

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos GB, Maia-Barbosa P, Vieira F, Lopez CM (1994) Fish and zooplankton community structure in reservoirs of Southeastern Brazil: effects of the introduction of exotic fish. In: Pinto-Coelho RM, Giani A, von Sperling E (eds) Ecology and human impact on lakes and reservoirs in Minas Gerais, with special reference to future development and management strategies. SEGRAC, Belo Horizonte, pp 115–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt D (1992) Hydroelectric dams on Brazil’s Xingu river and indigenous peoples. Latin Am Anthropol Rev 4:14–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shafland PL (1995) Introduction and establishment of a successful butterfly peacock fishery in southeast Florida canals. Am Fish Soc Symp 15:443–445

    Google Scholar 

  • Shibatta AO, Orsi ML, Bennemann ST, Silva-Souza AT (2002) Diversidade e distribuição de peixes na bacia do Tibagi. In: Medri ME, Bianchini E, Shibatta OA, Pimenta JA (eds). A Bacia Do Rio Tibagi, Londrina, pp 403–424

  • Shrestha RK, Seidl AF, Moraes AS (2002) Value of sport fishing in the Brazilian Pantanal: a travel cost analysis using count data models. Ecol Econ 42:289–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff D (2005) Non-native species do threaten the natural environment! J Agr Environ Ethic 18:595–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff D (2011) How common are invasion-induced ecosystem impacts? Biol Invasions 13:1255–1268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh AK, Lakra WS (2011) Risk and benefit assessment of alien fish species of the aquaculture and aquarium trade into India. Rev Aquac 3:3–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teixeira I, Bennemann ST (2007) Ecomorphology reflect the fish diet in a reservoir in South Brazil. Biota Neotrop 7:67–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend CR, Winterbourn MJ (2003) Assessment of the environmental risk posed by an exotic fish: the proposed introduction of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) to New Zealand. Conserv Biol 6:273–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vari RP, Malabarba LR (1998) Neotropical ichthyology: an overview. In: Malabarba LR, Reis RE, Vari RP, Lucena ZMS, Lucena CAS (eds) Phylogeny and classification of neotropical fishes. EDIPUCRS, Porto Alegre, pp 1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Vieira ABC, Salvador Jr LF, Melo RMC, Santos GB, Bazzoli N (2009) Reproductive biology of the peacock bass Cichla piquiti (Perciformes: Cichlidae), an exotic species in a Neotropical reservoir. Neotrop Ichthyol 7:745–750

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitule JRS (2009) Introduction of fishes in Brazilian continental ecosystems: review, comments and suggestions for actions against the almost invisible enemy. Neotrop Biol Conserv 4:111–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitule JRS, Umbria SC, Aranha JMR (2006) Introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) into Southern Brazil. Biol Invasions 8:677–681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitule JRS, Freire CA, Simberloff D (2009) Introduction of non-native freshwater fish can certainly be bad. Fish Fish 10:98–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitule JRS, Skóra F, Abilhoa V (2012) Homogenization of freshwater fish faunas after the elimination of a natural barrier by a dam in Neotropics. Divers Distrib 18:111–120. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00821.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner EE, Gilliam JF, Hall DJ, Mittelbach GG (1983) An experimental test of the effects of predation risk on habitat use in fish. Ecology 64:1540–1548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson M (1996) Biological invasions. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Zambrano L, Martinez-Meyer E, Menezes NA, Petersen AT (2006) Invasive potential of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in American freshwater systems. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 63:1906–1910

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work was supported by Banco Santander (Britton) and Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Orsi). The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and not their parent organisations.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Conservation Ecology and Environmental Science, School of Applied Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK

    J. Robert Britton

  2. Departamento de Biologia Animal e Vegetal, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

    Mário Luís Orsi

Authors
  1. J. Robert Britton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mário Luís Orsi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Robert Britton.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Britton, J.R., Orsi, M.L. Non-native fish in aquaculture and sport fishing in Brazil: economic benefits versus risks to fish diversity in the upper River Paraná Basin. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 22, 555–565 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-012-9254-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-012-9254-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation