Ictio records 108,679 observations of 119 fish species/groups shared by 713 citizen scientists and organizations (Figure 1).
Figure 1 – As of June 30, 2024, Ictio has collected a total of 108,679 fish observations in 62,695 lists (fishing events). This information was recorded in 156 (78%) of the 199 level 4 sub-basins of the Amazon, representing the contributions of 713 individuals and organizations.
Fish observations are distributed in 156 of the 199 level 4 (BL4) sub-basins of the Amazon (i.e. 78%). (Learn more about the watershed classification used by Ictio in Venticinque et al., 2016 – ‘New Geographic Information System (GIS) on rivers and watersheds for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems in the Amazon’). The sub-basin ‘Madeira – upstream of Jamari’ continues to lead the number of records with 16,431 observations.
In this quarter (April to June 2024), fishermen and fisherwomen in the Madre de Dios (above Tambopata) (Peru), Purús (above Acre) (Bolivia/Peru) and Jamari sub-basins stood out with the highest percentage increases in observations in their basins (Figure 2). In addition, the Costa Sul sub-basin (Brazil) recorded its first observations. Ictio continues to expand and provide crucial information for understanding migratory fishes in the Amazon Basin.
Figure 2 – Increase (%) in the total number of lists recorded in Ictio, by BL4 level basins, shared in Ictio between April and June 2024.
The Ictio platform allows 130 species/species groups to be recorded, in addition to the option ‘Other fish’ (‘Fish sp’) to record fish not already in the database. When reporting species using ‘Fish sp’, it is important to provide the name of the fish in the comments field, as this allows the demand for inclusion of new species of interest to citizen scientists to be documented and possibly included in the future.
Of the 119 species/species groups recorded in Ictio, the thick-scaled jack mackerel (Semaprochilodus insignis) remains the most recorded species (8,564 observations), followed by “Other fish” (“Fish sp” – 7,655 observations) and tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) with 6,688 observations (Figure 3).
Figure 3 – Species/species groups with the most records in Ictio until June 30, 2024.
Anecdata is Ictio’s new data collection app
In May, following a data migration, the Ictio app ceased operation after five years of valuable fish and fisheries data collection at scale in the Amazon Basin. Although the Ictio app is no longer operational, the Ictio Platform is still fully operational, and new collection tools, more customizable to the needs of each stakeholder group, are being developed to continue sharing this important data for the ecology and conservation of Amazonian fish populations.
Anecdata is a platform dedicated to citizen science projects. We have moved the Ictio projects to this platform, which offers an interface very similar to the Ictio app. Users can continue to share and save their fish and fisheries observations through the website (Figure 4) or through the Anecdata app on their cell phone (Figure 5).
Figure 4 – Ictio Bolivia page for registering observations on the Anecdata website
Figure 5 – The Ictio Peru project in the Anecdata app.
The Ictio Bolivia project was developed by WCS Bolivia and has been used for more than a year by citizen scientists, mainly in the Beni and Mamoré rivers. With this knowledge, we created the projects Ictio Peru, Ictio Colombia, Ictio Ecuador and Ictio Brazil, so that citizen scientists in each country can identify the fish with the names used in their region.
To start registering observations, enter Anecdata, create your login and choose your country’s project. Internet access is required for these first steps, but observations can be registered offline and uploaded to the platform as soon as a connection is available.
If you have any questions, visit the Amazon Waters Alliance website for further instructions and contacts.
The figures in this note and other data interpretation products are available at the following link.
GLOSSARY
Checklists: Lists of fish caught in a fishing event.
BL4 Basins: Basin level 4 is the scale that delineates all tributary sub-basins between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km².
Observations: Records of species/groups of fish species caught in the Amazon Basin.
Users: Amazonian citizens using the ICTIO application or platform, consisting mainly of local and indigenous peoples, individual fishers, management groups, associations of fishermen, and scientists.
This note is made possible thanks to the support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and of the people of the United States through the United States Agency for International Development. The content is the responsibility of the Wildlife Conservation Society and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Moore Foundation, USAID, or the United States Government.
