Knowledge Dialogue on Indigenous Fishing Practices in the Amazon. Photo: Tropenbos Colombia..

The Brazilian institutions OPAN (partner of AAA) and ACJ participated in this Knowledge Dialogue, with one technician and four indigenous fishers from the Apiaká-Kayabi (Mato Grosso), Kokama, and Tikuna (Amazonas) ethnic groups. Sannie Brum and Silvia López Casas represented WCS, delivering presentations on the status of indigenous fishing regulations in Brazil and the OMMEC.

A total of 44 participants, including 15 women and 29 men, with indigenous representatives from Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, took part in this meeting.

Topics discussed included:

(i) The importance of traditional indigenous knowledge for fisheries management;

(ii) Threats to indigenous territories and subsistence fishing; and

(iii) Organizational and legal aspects of fishing in indigenous territories.

Six experiences in indigenous fisheries and territorial management and monitoring were identified:

(i) Ticoya Reserve of the Tarapoto lakes, in the Amazon River, Colombia;

(ii) Organization of Artisanal Fishers from the seven communities of the Yahuarcaca lakes and streams system, Amazon River, Colombia, supported by the National University of Colombia;

(iii) Association of community members working on sustainable development in the municipality of Jutaí (ACJ), in the Jutaí River, Brazil;

(iv) Rede Juruena Vivo and Operação Amazônia Nativa (OPAN), in the Juruena River sub-basin, Brazil;

(v) Betânia Indigenous Land (TI) and Matintin TI, in the Içá River, Brazil, supported by WCS Brazil;

(vi) Indigenous community of Nuevo Saposoa from the Sipibo Conibo ethnic group, Peru, supported by The Nature Conservancy (TNC).