The pirarucú: the coveted giant fish of the Amazon in the sights of poachers

A fish bigger than a man, tasty and beautiful: the pirarucu of sweet water is the favorite of poachers in a lawless part of the Amazon jungle where are they Brazil, Peru and Colombia.

Prized for both its skin and meat, the pirarucú has long been a staple food for indigenous peoples who specialize in hunting fish that come up for air in the lakes of the Javari Valley, in the far west of Amazonas state.

But it has also become a highly coveted protein on the menus of haute cuisine and fusion cuisine restaurants in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Bogotá and Lima. With its growing popularity, the prices for these pieces have been increasing as well as the bets of the inhabitants of the Amazon to take advantage of it.

The growing appetite for the pirarucu is credited as a reason for the deaths last year of indigenous rights defender Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips at the hands of poachers who dismembered the couple’s bodies and hid their remains in Jungle.

In the state of Amazonas, the capture of pirarucu is strictly regulated.

In the Javari Valley, which is home to the second largest protected indigenous reserve of the South American giant – seven tribes live there, including the Kanamari – only residents can hunt it.

However, some claim that this is not so: “They are robbing us!”said Joao Filho Kanamari, an Amazonian resident who takes the surname of his tribe, which regularly comes into conflict with trespassers who venture into those lands in search of the prized fish.

“Cow of the Amazon”

For the Kanamari, the story of the pirarucú is that of “a leaf from a tree that fell into the water and became a giant fish.”explained tribal chief Mauro da Silva Kanamari.

“Arapaima gigas” Due to its scientific name, the pirarucu is one of the largest freshwater fish on the planet.

It is an odd-looking creature with a sharp pink tail, awkwardly flattened head, and globular eyes reminiscent of a prehistoric monster.

Omnivorous, the pirarucú can grow up to three meters long and weigh more than 200 kilograms.

Caught with the help of nets and harpoons, this giant fish is relatively easy to spot and kill, as it needs to surface every 20 minutes to breathe.

Known affectionately by the locals as “the cow of the Amazon”, presumably because of its ability to feed many at once, the pirarucú also has other uses: its skin is used to make exotic leather products such as shoes, bags, and wallets.

In addition, pirarucu scales, supposedly resistant to piranha teeth, are sold to tourists as key chains.

Victim of excessive fishing in the Brazilian Amazon, the pirarucú practically disappeared in the 1990s until the State introduced restrictions on the activity.

guarantee the future

In 2017, in the Javari Valley, a project began with the help of an indigenous NGO called CTI to ensure that the community can continue to exploit the pirarucú for a long time in a sustainable way.

The project is managed by the Kanamari themselves, who have voluntarily limited their own catches of pirarucu and agreed not to sell any to outsiders for five years.

“The idea is that the natives can feed themselves, provide for their needs, all while protecting their territory,” clarified the CTI spokesman, Thiago Arruda.

The project also involves patrols to detect and report poachers, a risky undertaking that can bring tribal members into contact with often armed illegal fishermen.

“The project is very important to us”, said Bushe Matis, coordinator of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (Univaja).

“Before, people fished like crazy. From now on we will take care of the lakes and fishing areas, so that in the future we will always have fish”, stressed.

An inventory was scheduled to take place shortly and if the number of fish has recovered sufficiently, the Kanamari will be able to start selling again.

But there are hurdles ahead: The local community has yet to establish a cold chain, essential to safely get the fish from the bowels of the Amazon jungle to customers, and decide how to divide the profits from the activity.

Some fear that opening it up for sale could expose indigenous forest dwellers to a whole new kind of risk.

According to a promoter of the project, who asked not to be named, there is a danger that local politicians or businessmen “not necessarily well-intentioned and probably involved in illegal fishing nets”make their way into this system.

Source: AFP