Register on Ictio: Dorado (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii). Photo: Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá.

The Amazon, the world’s largest freshwater system, is home to exceptional biodiversity, including fish species that migrate throughout its sub-basins. These migrations are not only fundamental to fish life, but also facilitate the transfer of nutrients and energy across habitats, playing a crucial role in seed dispersal and the sustainability of local fisheries. In fact, 93% of urban fisheries in the Amazon are based on migratory species.

Migratory fish species are essential for maintaining the integrity of social-ecological systems in the Amazon. However, despite advances in the study of the ecology of these species, knowledge about fish migrations has been limited and scattered, highlighting the need for integrated initiatives to monitor and conserve these fishery resources.

Citizen Science in action

Ictio is a platform for observing Amazonian fish, developed with the collaboration of local and indigenous communities, fishermen, management groups, associations and scientists.  Its database and associated applications allow users to record and share fish observations, addressing crucial information gaps for conservation in the Amazon. Not only does it drastically reduce data collection costs,it also empowers citizens as stewards of aquatic ecosystems.

Users have the ability to visualize and share their data, as well as keep a continuous record of the species they catch. accumulated on a large scale, this information allows for a deeper understanding of the migratory patterns of priority species in the Amazon. As of March 31, 2024, Ictio has recorded a total of 108,472 sightings of 119 species or groups of fish, thanks to the collaboration of 708 citizen scientists and various organizations (Read the quarterly report march 2024).

The analysis

Guido Herrera of the University of Tennesse, with the support of Sannie Brum, Guido Miranda and Guillermo Estupiñan of WCS Brasil and WCS Bolivia, evaluated the potential of Ictio to improve knowledge about migratory species and fisheries management. This effort is framed within the objectives of the Amazon Waters Alliance and is part of its strategy to understand the potential of the data obtained through Ictio, using data collected until July 2023.

Main results

The analyses reveal that for 25 taxa prioritized by Ictio, the data provided have increased an average of 74% of recorded occurrences compared to AmazonFish, a database on Amazonian fishes that integrates information available in published articles, books, online databases, museums and universities.

The species with the greatest increase in the number of occurrences are:

• Paiche Arapaima sp
• Gamitana Colossoma macropomum
• Dorado Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii
• Zungaro Zungaro zungaro
• Paco Piaractus brachypomus y doncella Pseudoplatystoma sp

Among the species that stand out for their increased distribution area are:

• Brachyplatystoma
• Salminus sp
• Arapaima sp
• Colossoma macropomum
• Piaractus brachypomus

Ictio has provided valuable knowledge on the distribution of the prioritized taxa in the main sub-basins of the Amazon, such as Juruá, Tapajós, Negro (Branco), Madeira, Marañón and minor tributaries of the main channel. The sub-basins with the highest percentage increase of taxa include: Juruá, Tapajós, Negro (Branco), Marañón, Ucayali and minor tributaries of the main channel.

In addition, measures of fishing effort, such as number of fishermen and duration of fishing, correlate with recorded catches, as expected. These results underscore the potential of Ictio to characterize migratory species distribution patterns and fishery dynamics at the Amazonian scale. The integration of spatial and temporal information, together with a larger number of records, will allow a deeper understanding of migratory patterns for each prioritized species.

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Participants of the Second Knowledge Dialogue. Photography: WCS

Under the leadership of the Instituto del Bien Común, the Amazon Waters Alliance organized the Second Knowledge Dialogue in Huacho, Lima, Peru, from March 18 to 20. Its main objective was to share knowledge, experiences and lessons learned related to fisheries management in the Amazon Basin.

Over three days, the 32 participants discussed common challenges in fisheries management, including monitoring, fishing activities, marketing, public policies, and the inclusion of gender and youth in fisheries.

Representatives of organizations from Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru a letter of commitment to jointly address the challenges in fisheries management in the Amazon.

Photo: Sofía Lazarte / WCS

The letter recognizes that it is essential to incorporate the participation of fishermen and fisherwomen in decision-making on Amazonian fisheries. It proposes to create an Alliance of Amazonian Fishermen, and Fisherwomen to coordinate actions and promote policies with authorities. As a first joint action, they proposed the organization of a day to clean up rivers, forests and communities. Read the full letter here (in Spanish).

In total, 13 experiences were presented: COLOVIPAS from the Ampiyacu River, APPA El Manatí de Apayacu from the Apayacu River, Shawi Santa Elena Native Community from the Cahuapanas River, APPA Puma Garza from the Tahuayo River, Fisheries Monitoring Team from the Pichis River, Community Environmental Monitoring Program from the Puinahua River and PMAC Bajo Urubamba, Tsirerishi Matinguenga Native Community from the Upper Manu Madre de Dios River, Banchero Rossi Fishermen’s Association from Puerto Maldonado, Chororo Showu Indigenous Fishermen’s Association of the Mamoré River, El Sábalo Indigenous Fishermen’s Association from the Beni River, Cochabamba Fishermen’s Association from the Ichilo River, Artisanal Fishermen’s Association of the Napo River and the Kaputna Shuar Center from the Santiago River; along with technicians from partner institutions WCS, IBC, San Diego Zoo and CINCIA.

One of the participants, Saira Bucheli, leader of the Association of Artisanal Fishermen from the Napo River, Ecuador, said: “I liked it because we exchanged experiences and now I can take the ideas of my Peruvian and Bolivian brothers to my association, take them into account, and be able to implement them there. We can follow their examples, because they (the other countries) are more advanced in fisheries management”.

Saira Bucheli, president of the Association of Artisanal Fishermen from the Napo River. Photography: Sofía Lazarte / WCS

On the last day, the event was attended by representatives of USAID, PRODUCE, DIREPRO Ucayali, DIREPRO Loreto, the Museum of Natural History UNMSM and the National Fisheries Institute of Ecuador. These authorities shared their perspectives and committed to support solutions to common challenges in fisheries management.

This event was held with the support of the Fundación Moore and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ), under the Together for Conservation project, led by WCS.

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© Fernando Anaguano / WCS

How did you become part of the members of the community using the Ictio application?

Since I was a child, I have always liked fishing. I used to follow my dad whenever he went fishing with a throw net. I used to like touching  fish skins. When Fernando Anaguano (wildlife biologist and Fishing Specialist of WCS Ecuador) arrived at the community, I told him that I also wanted to participate in the program because not only men can fish, but women can do it too.

To record the fish, you used the Ictio tool, what did you learn from this tool?

Yes, the new thing we can learn with Ictio is how fish migrate and come from other places. We used to catch fish and consume them, but we didn’t know where they came from or what importance they had.

How do you feel about recording fish using technology?

It’s something new for us. We had never had that opportunity here in Kaputna. I feel proud to be recording fish, measuring, and extracting tissues. For me, it’s beautiful, I already feel a bit like a scientist.

Is there any anecdote that has happened to you?

I went fishing in the Zamora River and caught a tilapia; a tilapia in the big river, imagine! It is not common to find this type of fish in that river. I caught a lot, as if I had fished in the tilapia pools. According to Fernando, finding tilapia there is something new.

In addition to recording the results of your fishing, tell us why you take tissues?

We take tissues from the fish’s skin to put them in alcohol so that Fernando can take them away.

Fernando Anaguano, WCS Ecuador specialist, explained that the extracted tissues are preserved in alcohol for future molecular analysis to determine possible new species or for phylogenetic analysis. The tissues are deposited in the National Institute of Biodiversity of Ecuador, INABIO, just like 669 specimens of 124 fish species that Liseth, along with Fernando and the other participants in the community’s citizen science program, have collected.

Liseth is one of the more than 670 people throughout the Amazon Basin who are recording their fish catch data, contributing to a database that already has over 106,300 observations as of March 2023. Citizen science is helping answer questions about fish migration patterns and fisheries at the scale of the Amazon Basin.

For more information about this citizen science tool visit ictio.org

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The dorado and piramutaba catfish become part of Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species. Image credit: WCS

Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Feb. 17, 2024 — At the Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Brazil’s proposal to include the dorado (Brachyplatystoma rouseauxii) and the piramutaba (Brachyplatystoma vaillantii) in the CMS Appendix II was approved.

This decision marks a crucial moment for the conservation of these two migratory catfish species in the Amazon. As Susan Lieberman, Vice President of International Policy with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said: “The inclusion of the dorado and piramutaba in the CMS Appendix II is a significant step toward protecting these emblematic species and their critical habitats in the Amazon Basin.”

The Amazon is home to over 47 million people, including approximately 1.5 million Indigenous individuals, whose lives, cultures, and livelihoods are intimately intertwined with its rivers, lakes, flooded forests, fish, and wildlife. The longest freshwater fish migrations in the world occur in the Amazon Basin and migratory fish species represent more than 80% of the commercial capture.

The dorado (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) and the piramutaba (Brachyplatystoma vaillantii), two migratory giants, play a fundamental role in the ecological balance and integrity of this vast and complex aquatic network.

The dorado undertakes an extraordinary migration, covering over 11,000 km round-trip from the Andes to the Atlantic and back. This journey represents the longest continental water migration globally, traversing territories of several Amazonian countries including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Similarly, the piramutaba embarks on extensive migrations, traveling approximately 6,300 km round trip.

Said Ellee Bosman, Acting Mission Director, USAID Peru: “This decision taken at CMS, to protect two iconic migratory species, aligns with our vision of a healthy Amazon basin. Through Together for Conservation, and other initiatives, we will continue to support the region’s efforts to enhance environmental governance, protect key landscapes and species, while also securing the rights and resources necessary for sustainable development.”

The Amazon Waters Alliance, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recognize the importance of this decision for the sustainable management of these species and thereby maintaining biodiversity and the well-being of human populations, and appreciate the consensus adoption of the proposal at CMS CoP14.  They will continue collaborating with governments and local communities to promote policies fostering the sustainable management of dorado and piramutaba and their habitats. Together, they will continue to work tirelessly to safeguard the future of these important species and the critical ecosystems they inhabit, upon which the livelihoods of Amazon Peoples depend.

Said Carolina Doria from Universidad Federal de Rondonia, Brazil, board member of the Amazon Waters Alliance, which comprises 26 partners from seven Amazon countries: “Dorado and piramutaba are species that act as indicators of the health and connectivity of Amazonian aquatic ecosystems. However, these two large catfish are at risk due to hydroelectric dams, overfishing, alluvial mining, and deforestation, thus threatening the connectivity of the entire Amazon. That’s why the inclusion of the dorado and piramutaba in Appendix II of CMS is key to catalyze collaborative actions for the sustainable management of migratory fish species and the conservation of their home ranges of this fishery resource.”

Collaboration among governments, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and the private sector, along with the implementation of coordinated conservation measures, is crucial to ensure a sustainable future for both biodiversity and the people reliant on the integrity of Amazonian aquatic ecosystems.

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Press contact:

kpugacadena@wcs.org

The post A Key Milestone for the Conservation of Amazon Migratory Fish: Dorado and Piramutaba Included in CMS Appendix II appeared first on Aguas Amazonicas.

During the “Dialogue of Knowledge: Participatory Fisheries Management in the Amazon,” fishermen, researchers and technicians met to exchange their valuable experiences in fisheries management.  Thirteen organizations from eight basins in Ecuador, Brazil and Peru participated in this event that took place during the Congress on Wildlife Management in Latin America, CIMFAUNA, held at Santa Marta, Colombia in November.

The Amazon Waters Alliance promoted this event  in collaboration with USAID and WCS. The Dialogue of Knowledge aimed to identify experiences of Participatory Fisheries Management in the Amazon; to understand the strengths, common challenges and the potential for scaling up these good governance practices; to present the experiences to the CIMFAUNA audience; and, define together, themes for upcoming events.

“The goal of this series of meetings -the plan is to organize more events like this one-   was to understand ways or methods to scale the management strategies that already exist in the Amazon” said Sannie Brum, Ictio and Amazon Fisheries Specialist for WCS.

The Dialogue of Knowledge allowed the participating local communities and, indigenous peoples to share their realities and solutions. It generated mutual learning of best practices and also discussions on how to approach gender in fisheries.

One of the participants, Evaneide de Souza Costa, from the Associação de Mulheres Agroextrativistas do Médio Juruá (ASMAMJ), commented: “I am very happy to be sharing our work and culture with other people who also contribute to our work”.

Germán Narankas, from the Kaputna Shuar Center in Ecuador, expressed his gratitude by mentioning: “It’s my first time participating in this congress, and I am very happy to bring this experience to my country.”

The different perspectives and knowledge shared during the event not only enriched the collective understanding of fisheries management in the Amazon, but also strengthened the ties between the communities participating in the event.

The Amazon Waters Alliance, together with its partners, continues working to promote participatory management practices that benefit both local communities and the fragile Amazon ecosystem.

Below more information on the participants:

Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute. Médio Solimões, Brazil.

Representative: Ana Cláudia Torres Gonçalves.

The Mamirauá Fisheries Management Program (PMP) has been advising the communities on shared management of pirarucu fish since 1999. In 24 years, they have promoted the conservation of the species and increased income for local families. The experience has been replicated in Brazil and other Amazonian countries where the species is present.

Association of Artisanal Fishermen and Processors Apayacu Manatee and Instituto del Bien Común. Apayacu River, Loreto, Peru.

Representatives: Jorge Avelar, native community of Yanayacu and Vanessa Rodríguez (IBC).

This association of commercial fishermen of the Yagua people, together with IBC, has been developing for 13 years a proposal for fisheries governance in the Apayacu basin. The Fisheries Management Program, PROMAPE Apayacu (for its acronym in Spanish), involves 11 communities and various organizations to preserve hydrobiological resources, focusing on consumer and ornamental species. With 51 families managing 261 hectares, they were able to increase catch sizes and recover the manatee and several fish species.

Association of Agro-Extractivist Women from Médio Juruá (ASMAMJ) and Juruá Institute. Brazil.

Representatives: Evaneide de Souza Costa, Irlene de Figueiredo (ASMAMJ) and Camila Ritter (Juruá Institute).

Since 2014 women have assumed the leading role in management and agro extractivism activities in the Médio Juruá Extractivist Reserve. Evaneide and Irlene told how they led sustainable management projects of pirarucu (or paiche) and tambaqui (gamitana).

The area has in place fishing agreements, which are legal instruments that allow the fishermen’s groups to manage their resources.

Indigenous People Association Povo das Águas (AIPA) and Native Amazon Organization (OPAN). Middle Purús. Brazil.

Representative: Gilmar Chagas Cassiano da Silva (AIPA) and Antonio Miranda Neto (OPAN).

The Paumari Indigenous Peoples, inhabitants of the Purús River in Brazil, are pioneers in the adoption of pirarucu fish management in indigenous territories. They built their management plan in 2008 with the support of Operation Native Amazon and managed to recover the populations of the pirarucu, which was at risk in the 1990s. They suspended fishing for five years. Now, the species has recovered and 40 families manage its sustainable fishing in 63 lakes in their territory.

Association of Community Members Working with Sustainable Development in the Municipality of Jutaí (ACJ) and OPAN. Jutaí River. Brazil 

Representative: Diomir de Souza Santos (ACJ) and Antonio Miranda Neto (OPAN).

Currently 39 communities are involved in the management and protection of 368 aquatic habitats for the sustainable management of pirarucu fish (paiche). The association was created in 2009 to represent the communities and strengthen their capacities to manage artisanal fisheries. The ACJ is now a key organization in the municipality of Jutaí related to fisheries management.

Fishermen’s Colony Z-42 from Juruti and Sapopema. Pará, Brazil.

Representatives: Renato de Melo Farias (Colônia Z-42) and, Poliane Batista (Sapopema).

In the 1980s, the communities of Juruti initiated a movement for fishing agreements to decide on the use of their lakes. Thus, after a process, the agreements became formal instruments and helped to mitigate fishing conflicts.

Its fishing agreement governs an extensive area of 55,277.56 hectares covering three municipalities: Juruti, Óbidos and Santarém.

Indigenous Peoples of the Shuar Nationality – Shuar Kaputna Center and WCS Ecuador. Santiago River. Ecuador.

Representatives: Germán Narankas (Kaputna Shuar Center) and Fernando Anaguano (WCS).

Five indigenous fishermen and fisherwomen from Kaputna monitor their fish with Ictio, a citizen science platform. They want to know what species inhabit their rivers and aquatic ecosystems, and how mining activities and the construction of hydroelectric plants could affect the species. During a   year they sampled seven locations, registering 144 species. It is possible that two species are new to science.

Association of Artisanal Fishermen of the Napo River and WCS Ecuador. Napo River. Ecuador.

Representative: Fernando Anaguano (WCS)

In the city of Coca, Ecuador, a woman leads an association of 23 fishermen and fisherwomen who catch mainly Amazonian catfish. A municipal ordinance establishes that those who exploit fishery resources within the canton of Orellana must contribute to  generate knowledge. Therefore, they combine their daily fishing tasks with citizen science, monitoring their catches with the Ictio application. This data contributes to generating information for management of their resources. They also recorded the presence of a species that had not been seen in the Napo River basin.

The goals of the event were achieved. Participants shared their experiences during the four-day event. After identifying their strengths and common challenges, they took all the learning back to their countries with the intention of implementing it and improving their local fisheries management initiatives.

The Dialogue of Knowledge was one of the actions of the Amazon Waters Alliance for strengthening multi-scale fisheries governance. The Alliance brings together 26 organizations, including universities, governmental research institutes and grassroots and civil society organizations from seven countries committed to the conservation and ecosystem integrity of the Amazon Basin.

Press contact

Katy Puga, kpugacadena@wcs.org

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