Impactos da pesca esportiva do Tucunaré Cichla SPP. no Complexo Juma/Tracajá e Maçarico na região do baixo Rio Mamori, Amazonas

Abstract

Sport fishing has stood out in Amazonas, presenting great potential for fishing and contributing to the economy. Despite the potential of fishing tourism, its large-scale development without proper monitoring and monitoring allowed the activity to be practiced in a disorderly manner. As a result, the present work sought to evaluate the development of sport fishing in the lower Mamori River, a region that comprises the municipalities of Autazes and Careiro, and the impacts that fishing activity has on the region, in addition to evaluating the relationship between fishing yield and the presence of flooded forest. Data collection took place through semi-structured questionnaires applied from October 2022 to April 2023, forms filled out by fishing guides, secondary data, analysis of water parameters and analysis of flooded forest in fishing environments. The results showed that sport fishing down the Mamori River is already established, developing through 32 tourist enterprises, which contributed to the insertion of the Municipality of Careiro on the Brazilian tourism map in 2022, 2023 and 2024, however, the number of enterprises that have a license to operate with sport fishing is low, only (22.58%). In the application of questionnaires, 107 riverside dwellers, 20 guides and 7 entrepreneurs participated, with the group of riverside dwellers having an average age of 46 years old, guides 30 years old and entrepreneurs 42 years old. Regarding the benefits of the activity, 77.57% of riverside dwellers say that sport fishing generates benefits for the region, with the generation of employment and income being the most cited by riverside dwellers and entrepreneurs, with the income obtained by guides ranging from R$ 3 thousand at more than R$12 thousand per season. However, negative impacts have been identified that are leading to the occurrence of conflicts, which has caused dissatisfaction among 40% of riverside residents, but the majority of 60% are still satisfied with the current scenario of sport fishing in the lower Mamori River. The average length of the peacock bass (Cichla temensis) in the lower Mamori River varied between 62 and 68 centimeters, indicating the occurrence of trophies in the region. We found that there is a significant relationship between flooded forest cover and the length of peacock bass (Cichla temensis), indicating a tendency for larger individuals in regions with larger areas of flooded forest (km²) surrounding fishing grounds. Thus, it appears that sport fishing in the lower Mamori River contributes economically, however, it is necessary for public bodies to monitor and inspect the activity to mitigate negative impacts. Furthermore, the importance of conserving fishing grounds to protect Cichla temensis and to maintain the presence of trophies in the region's fishing areas is highlighted.