About of ornamental fish for communities of the middle Xingu River - Pará - Brazil: narrative case

Abstract

Ornamental fishery in riparian communities of the middle Xingu River, Pará State, is one of the oldest and most important activities in the region. In order to characterize it, we carried out direct observations, application of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Most of the informants were from Pará State, and developed their skills by watching nature or through knowledge taught by other people. The number of fishermen who began working under the legal age according to Brazilian Law (16) is high, in relation to the total amount of interviewees, which characterizes the occurrence of child labor. Despite the many risks and lack of observance of labor rights and guarantees, most of the fishermen have been in the profession for some time. Even though the export amounts depend on seasonality, they suffer a strong influence from market demands, and some species already suffer from overexploitation, such as the acari zebra (Hypancistrus zebra). The results were relevant because they point to a worrying reality regarding the fishermen’s interests and the exploited species. Hence, it is necessary to develop actions that promote sustainable ornamental fishery in the region.