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The Amazon Várzea pp 145–165Cite as

Comanagement of the Application of Fisheries Resources in the Amazon: Present Status and Challenges for Management and Conservation

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Abstract

The present article documents the progress of the comanagement strategies for the application of fisheries resources in the Amazon over the last 10 years, as has been observed through localized, diffuse, and demonstrative experiments. The article also shows that some of these experiments have played a key role in the modification and establishment of new relations, through the projection of these findings onto regions, both in the short and long terms. The background and reported experiments exemplify how diversified groups, such as communities, fishing colonies, local NGOs, governmental agencies, and international donors and organizations related to international conservation, can work together in order to develop a new comanagement system of fisheries resources that supports and legitimates the efforts of base organizations so as to defend the resources and livelihoods. The process of fisheries intensification and local organizational development has led to the emergence of new models of joint management. However, the establishment of these models not only has represented a response to an ecological change (effort restriction and an increase in the lakes’ productivity), but also has raised the question of the right to common resources as a matter of concern. Despite the considerable progress made up to the present moment, it is necessary to carry out an analysis on the shared river basins, to perform a critical evaluation of the diverse fisheries activities, aimed at assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately to evaluate the institutional mechanisms (rules, procedures, monitoring) which may be necessary to determine management and comanagement strategies with the adjoining Amazon countries.

Keywords

  • Amazon
  • Comanagement
  • Empowerment
  • Fisheries
  • Fishery
  • Participation

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Rapiché is an artisanal indigenous trap (puçá), made of a wooden frame measuring a meter in length by 0.5 m in width, on which a one-millimeter nylon grid is sewn in opposing knots around it.

  2. 2.

    Cacurí consists of a cylindrical trap with a very small sideways longitudinal opening, which allows the entrance of small fishes. This device is made of a one-millimeter nylon canvas woven in opposing knots. The top is made of iron and the base is made of wood. In order to maximize its effectiveness, fishing baits are used inside the device as a way of attracting the fishes, similar to the first-mentioned device.

  3. 3.

    Bodós belong to the Loricariidae family, which has around 670 spp., and are distributed in all neotropical fresh water environments. The characteristics of the group include a cupping glass shape of the lower jaw, which suggests the origin as coming from fast waters, from which it spread to other types of environments. Another characteristic is the bone armor-plated body, composed of several longitudinal plates. They are commonly known in Brazil as acaris, bodós, or cascudos.

  4. 4.

    Acarásdisco belong to the Cichlidae family, which represents the largest family of fishes in terms of numbers. The cichlideos can be found from the southern United States to the Argentine Patagonia. In the Old World they can be found throughout a vast area of the African continent, with a few present in Israel, Syria, and Iran, and in the Indian subcontinent. However, the discuses are included in the Symphisodon species, and are restricted to the Amazon basin. There are four species: S. discus with a dark brown body, dark vertical stripes, bluish lines, and blue-bordered fins; S. aequifasciata aequifasciata with a reddish coloring, and strong bluish stretching marks on the body; S. aequifasciata haraldi with a blue-greenish body and strong blue stretching marks on the head, back, and fins; and S. aequifasciata axelrodi with a brown-yellowish body and blue stretching marks on the head.

  5. 5.

    Coridoras belong to the Callichthyidae family; they have approximately 180 spp. distributed from Panama to the Argentine Patagonia. Their characteristics consist of a bone armor-plated body formed by two series of longitudinal dermic plates and they are small-to-moderate in size, reaching 16 cm maximum. They are popularly known as corridoras, and they live in the margins of rivers and igarapés. They are considered one of the most exploited fish in the aquarium industry nowadays.

  6. 6.

    Fishing Agreements – a set of established rules by the riverbank community members which define the access and the application of the fishery resource in a determined geographic area. The rules are strongly based on the local ecological knowledge, and monitoring is carried out based on local social ethics. For Ibama, the fishing agreements represent a set of specific norms resulting from consensual treaties among several users of the fisheries resources, defined within a ­determined geographic area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monitoring and Control Department, Ministry of Fishery and Aquaculture, SBS Quadra 02, Lote 10, Bloco “J” - Edifício Carlton Tower, 7º andar - Cep. 70.070-120, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Mauro Luis Ruffino

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  1. Mauro Luis Ruffino
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Correspondence to Mauro Luis Ruffino .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University, Center for Environmental Research and Co, Amsterdam Avenue 1200, New York, 10027-7054, New York, USA

    Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez

  2. Ministério da Pesca e Aquicultura - MPA, Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco D, Brasília, DF, 70043-900, Brazil

    Mauro L. Ruffino

  3. The New York Botanical Garden, Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard 200th, Bronx, 10458-5126, New York, USA

    Christine Padoch

  4. , Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, E. Kirkwood Avenue, Student Building 130 701, Bloomington, IN, 47405-7100, USA

    Eduardo S. Brondízio

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Ruffino, M.L. (2011). Comanagement of the Application of Fisheries Resources in the Amazon: Present Status and Challenges for Management and Conservation. In: Pinedo-Vasquez, M., Ruffino, M., Padoch, C., Brondízio, E. (eds) The Amazon Várzea . Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0146-5_11

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