Tough fishing and severe seasonal food insecurity in Amazonian flooded forests

Abstract

1. Billions of people rely on harvesting wildlife for food, and must contend with catch rates that vary in space (e.g. overharvesting near communities) and time (e.g. seasonal migrations). Yet, research has overlooked potential linkages between reduced wildlife catch rates (catch-per-unit-effort) and food security. Moreover, assumptions that people living in biologically rich environments are food secure lack empirical testing. This is problematic given that food security rests on having stable access to sufficient food, rather than there being sufficient food.2. We examine spatiotemporal variation in fish catch rates and perceived food security among rural communities in Amazonian flooded forests. We also assess social inequities in food insecurity. We used structured interviews to collect data on fishing, hunting, chicken and beef consumption, and perceptions of food security.We did so during 556 household visits along a spatial gradient (1,267 km) of commercial fishing pressure, during high-and low-water seasons.3. We provide the first empirical evidence of simultaneous seasonal crashes in wildlife catch rates and food insecurity. During the high-water season, fish catch rates were 73% lower, and the probability of not eating for a whole day was four times higher. With a third of households skipping meals and a sixth not eating for a whole day during this season, food security can be classed as severe. However, less-deprived households tended to avoid severe food insecurity. Fish catch rates and perceived food security did not vary along a spatial gradient of commercial overfishing. River-dwelling Amazonians increased fishing and hunting efforts during the high-water season, without eating more chicken and beef, emphasizing the importance of stable access to wild fish and bushmeat.4. This study shows how wildlife catch rates and food security can crash seasonally and simultaneously, demonstrating the fallacies of environmental and social policies which assume stability of food availability in resource-rich areas. Our results have implications for degraded habitats where falls in catch rates also occur. This suggests that overharvesting, as with other causes of reduced catch rates, could cause food insecurity in wildlife-reliant populations. | 469People and Nature TREGIDGO ET al.

Segurança alimentar de famílias extrativistas de açaí na Amazônia oriental brasileira: o caso da Ilha das Cinzas

“…O isolamento de populações extrativistas amazônicas, como aquelas residentes da Ilha das Cinzas, associado aos seus hábitos alimentares restritos, pode aumentar sua vulnerabilidade e, consequentemente, afetar sua segurança alimentar (LEAH et al, 2012). Tregidgo et al (2020) apontaram a relação entre as inundações sazonais dos rios e a grave insegurança alimentar de famílias ribeirinhas, que residem em áreas geograficamente distantes dos centros administrativos locais, interferindo decisivamente no acesso e na disponibilidade de alimentos. Neste sentido, Valle et al (2019) defendem que as soluções para o problema da insegurança alimentar estão no próprio lócus da comunidade, por meio da produção agrícola familiar diversificada e de seu nexo com a importância socioeconômica e com a cultural local.…”

“…A dependência alimentar, quanto aos recursos naturais locais, como peixes e animais silvestres, aliada às intempéries, pode expor populações ribeirinhas, geograficamente isoladas, a diferentes níveis de vulnerabilidade. Em períodos de cheia dos rios, o acesso e a disponibilidade aos recursos naturais são dificultados, interferindo diretamente na insegurança alimentar familiar (TREGIDGO et al, 2020).…”

Shared residual risk of childhood undernutrition indicators in Malawi. An application of shared spatial component model

“…Areas especially in the southern tip experience flooding from Shire river almost every year. Flooding has been documented to enhance food insecurity by reducing fish catch rates due to dilution of fish in greater volumes of water (Tregidgo et al, 2020). Flooding is also associated with child morbidity like diarrhoea which in turn is associated with high risk to undernutrition (Poda et al, 2017).…”

Corrigendum

“…In the article by Tregidgo et al. (2020), Figure 2 was originally published with "Low water" labelled as "High water" and vice versa. This was due to an error during article proofing.…”