The pirarucu (Arapaima sp.) fishery at the Araguaia River basin, state of Mato Grosso - Brazil

Abstract

Studies that record the activity of exploitation of pirarucu (Arapaima sp.) are nonexistent at the State of Mato Grosso. This survey characterized the pirarucu artisanal fishery in terms of production and income (in Catch per Unit Effort, CPUE), highlighting its socio-economic importance at the Araguaia River and Das Mortes River. The research was conducted by means of two data sources: 1) Interviews and questionnaires for the fishermen characterization in São Felix do Araguaia city from August to September 2008, and 2) Analysis of the Individual Fishing Performance (IFP) for the fishing characterization of two fishermen communities at the Araguaia River Basin from 2007 to 2008. The most commonly fishing gears cited in the study were gillnets, hook-and-line and a kind of harpoon. Only hook-and-line are allowed by local legislation. The income from fisheries is equivalent to that from managed areas, but the situation of the stock is unknown. The questionnaires used showed results similar to the monitoring of fishing by DPI, whose focus was equivalent to the first ones. Fishing is practiced mainly during the dry season. The catches in the two fishing areas did not differ from one another. The estimated length for the majority of the captured fishes was higher than the one at sexual maturity. In short, the pirarucu fishing and marketing in the region need to be reorganized to ensure better situation for fishermen and more sustainable conditions for the considered species.