The arapaima, up to 3 m long and 200 kg, is considered a “destroyer” in the Amazon that has been depleted due to human overfishing.
In the fish world, the arapaima is quite special. Found in the Amazon Basin , the walrus is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. It is capable of being up to 3 m long and weighing 200 kg.
This fish can live in low-oxygen water and survive a day without water. It eats fish, birds, lizards and small mammals, crushing its prey with its tooth-covered tongue.
This masterpiece of evolution also has an amazing scale. According to CNN, the researchers see this scale as a bulletproof vest, protecting the sea lion from attacks by tiger fish (piranha).
The sea lionfish is a destroyer in the animal kingdom. However, this fish is very tasty. Locally, walrus is also known as “Amazon’s cod” thanks to its firm white flesh and few bones. This fish is an important food source for the local community and a favorite in some of Brazil’s largest cities.
Overfishing led to a decline in their numbers and the authorities had to ban them in the 1990s. However, illegal fishing continued, causing the walrus to disappear from the ocean. Amazon. However, two decades of efforts by conservationists and local communities have helped revive the walrus.
Community involvement
CNN quoted ecologist João Campos-Silva of Institutio Juruá (Brazil) as saying that today the walrus is banned in Brazil, except in areas with community management agreements. The Institutio Juruá is one of several organizations that partner with communities and fishermen in grassroots programs to sustainably farm and ultimately revive the species.
During the rainy season, sea lionfish live in flooded forests and breed there. They return to the lake when the water level drops. Ten years ago, the Institutio Juruá started a program in the Juruá River and surrounding lakes in the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil, to test the population of walrus and calculate sustainable catch quotas for each lake. for the following year (no more than 30% of the adult fish).
The local community guards the lake’s entrances year-round to prevent illegal fishermen from coming in from the outside. Fishermen are only allowed to harvest sea urchins between August and November and any fish smaller than 1.55 m will be released.
