Fish consumption on the Amazon: a review of biodiversity, hydropower and food security issues

Abstract

The lack of knowledge about the majority of fish species harvested in Amazonian small-scale fisheries, in association with impacts from hydroelectric power plants, may lead to biodiversity loss and a decrease in the protein food supply for riverine Amazonians. This study uses existing datasets on fisheries and riverine developmental projects to infer effects associated with fish losses where actual data and outcomes are not available. The targeted fish species’ status may be regarded as either threatened or there being no knowledge of their conservation requirements, biology or ecology. Among the 90 Amazonian fish species that are the most important for the diet of the riverine fishers, 78% are not assessed or their biological information is unknown, according to the IUCN Red List. Consequently, the effects created by the thoroughly disregarded trade-off between energy generation and food security in the planning of Amazonian land use have been worsened by the lack of biological and ecological information on fish species.

Integrative taxonomy reveals hidden cestode diversity in Pimelodus catfishes in the Neotropics

“…Members of the species‐richest genus of the Pimelodidae, that is, Pimelodus Lacepède, are small to medium‐sized catfishes that are widely distributed throughout Neotropical river basins (Ferraris, 2007; Lundberg & Littmann, 2003); they usually exhibit a diversified diet, with items such as algae, invertebrates and smaller fishes (Silva et al., 2019). Commonly called ‘mandi’, they have drawn broader attention given their economic and recreational value (Begossi et al., 2019; Lundberg & Littmann, 2003), as well as being one of the main sources of injuries to humans among accidents caused by freshwater fishes (Costa et al., 2020; Sarmiento et al., 2015). Pimelodus spp.…”

Integrating science and citizen science: the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) sustainable fishery of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…This is especially important where there is nonexistent information, or a few sources of information, on fish, such as on the coast of Brazil [18]: there are certain species for which the only source of knowledge is LEK, such as Rhinobatos percellens, Sphoeroides dorsalis , and Dasyatis guttata . It is important to note that information is lacking for important target species and consumed species from both the coastal and continental waters of Brazil [9,10]. Another area in which the fishers can help is the monitoring of contaminants: as the study by Silvano and Begossi [44] shows, observations of bioaccumulation, such as the mercury content in fish muscle, can be made by fishers and can be very valuable.…”

“…These results are very important, especially considering that dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus , is a flagship species for conservation that reaches large sizes and lives up to 60 years, with many MPAs (marine protected areas) established in Mediterranean waters [61]. It is a very important food source for coastal communities that have livelihoods dependent on fishing [9,18], and it is an ecological and cultural keystone species [10].…”

“…In Brazil, for example, among the 65 marine species most often consumed by marine small-scale fisheries, 33% are decreasing, and 54% have an unknown status [9]. In the freshwater fisheries of the Amazonian rivers, among the 90 fish species mentioned by fishers as being consumed, 78% have an unknown biological or ecological status [10].…”

Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic and Neuroprotective Activities of Extracts from Fruits Native to the Amazon Region: A Review

“…The diversity in the Amazon rainforest represents not only mineral wealth in soil [3] as well as a food source found in animals [4] and plant species [5]. Over time, the man discovered that plant consumption, mostly fruits, had high nutritional value and medicinal effect, currently among the most significant therapeutic agents obtained from nature [6].…”