GEO Brasil - UNEP

a tendency to decrease was observed, with some
fluctuations, up to 1992, when the production was
only 7,070 tonnes (Dias-Neto & Dornelles, op cit)
The 1999 production was 22,087 tonnes (IBAMA, op
cit), and this resource is considered to be
experimenting a phase of recovery after a period of
intense overfishing
There is also ornamental fish production, especially
in the Negro river basin, where most specimens
captured are exported (United States, Germany and
Japan), with the strong predominance of the cardinal
tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) Reservoir fishing is
mostly done by professionals and has a variable
specific composition, especially at the beginning of
exploiting activities, after which it becomes gradually
dominated by the peacock bass (Cichla monoculus)
Studies on the “status” of Amazon fishery resources
have considered them under-exploited as a whole
(Bailey, 1981; Petrere, 1983; Welcomme, 1990), despite
some localised or specific risks Bailey & Petrere (1989)
report a decline in the capture of bigger species near
the main urban centres The depleted stocks of some
species found in Manaus is demonstrated by
Bittencourt (1991), to whom fishery in this region has
nearly reached the maximum level of sustainable
production Bailey & Petrere (1989) believe that the
extinction of certain species, even in the case of
overfishing, is unlikely to happen if environmental
conditions are maintained However, increasing
anthropic occupation in the Amazon has become a
risk to fishery stocks and revenues in this region The
effects of this occupation on the environment are:
disturbances related to construction of dams, mineral
prospecting and deforestation
b) In the Northeastern Basin, the Parnaíba River (362,000
km 2 ) is an important fishing region between the states
of Maranhão and Piauí Artisan fishery activities in
the meadows of the lowlands known as “baixada
maranhense”, influenced by the Pindaré, Grajaú and
Mearim rivers, are highly seasonal as these lakes dry
almost completely in the summer During the ebb
tide, the following fish are captured: curimatá
(Prochilodus lacustris, P cearensis, P argenteus),
pescada (Plagioscion sp) and piaus (Schizodon sp,
Leporinus sp), mainly with circular nets The
productivity is relatively low, varying from 50-250 kg/
person/year (Paiva, 1973, 1976) The most important
fishery resources captured in public reservoirs in the
Northeast from 1977 to 1986 were the Nile tilapia
(Tilapia niloticus, 26 percent), the Piauí pescada
(Plagiosion squamosissimus, 22 percent), shrimps
(Macrobrachium spp, 11 percent), common peacock
bass (Cichla ocellaris, 10,9 percent) and common
curimatã (Prochilodus cearensis, 6,4 percent) (Paiva
et al, 1994)
c) In the Paraná River Basin, fishery resources also
present a considerable degree of heterogeneity In the
basin’s freer stretches 1 , one finds bigger migratory
species such as the speckled catfish
(Pseudoplatystoma corruscans), the dourado
(Salminus maxillosus), the barbado (Pinirampu
pirinampu), the piaparas (Leporinus elongatus and L
obtusidens), the spotted pim (Pimelodus maculatus)
and, more recently, the armado (Pterodora
granulosus) (Petrere & Augustin, 1993) The first two
are predominant In the basin’s higher stretches, the
main fishery resources are the South American silver
croaker (Plagiosion squamosissimus), the spotted
pim (Pimelodus maculatus and Iheringichtyhys
labrosus), the curimbas (Prochilodus lineatus), small
caracids (Astyanax spp, intermedia Moenkhausia) and
wolf fish (Hoplias malabaricus) (Torloni et al, 1991;
Etal Correa, 1193; Carvalho Jr et al, 1993 a,b, Moreira
et al, 1993) In the Itaipu reservoir, about 50 species
are caught, 5 of which contribute with 78 percent of
the annual output (1,600 tones): Highwaterman catfish
(25 percent), curimba (19 percent), South American
silver croaker (16 percent), armado (14 percent) and
cascudo-preto (Rhinelepis aspera)(4 percent)
(Augustin et al, 1993b) The fishery output data and
composition reveal that:
the great migratory species, seen as “noble” in
commercial fishery, had poor stocks in the basin’s
higher segments;
the state of environment in Brazil
1
River stretches with no dams
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