A caça de subsistência na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Piagaçu-Purus e na terra indígena Lago Ayapuá, Amazônia Central, Brasil

Abstract

I interviewed individually, between February and June of 2007, 59 caboclos hunters from eight communities in the Piagaçu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve (PP-SDR) and 13 Mura hunters from five communities in the Terra Indígena Lago Ayapuá, about the patterns of subsistence hunting in terra firme and flooded forests (várzea) along lower Purus river, Amazonas State. In this region, at least 59 species of vertebrates were hunted by caboclos and indigenous groups, and the patterns of hunting of these human groups were similar. Mammals were the most important game vertebrate class more important for hunters of terra firme communities, followed by birds and reptiles. In várzea communities, no significant differences were observed between hunting of mammals and birds, both of which were hunted more than reptiles. Large-bodied mammals and birds were the most hunted game species. Tayassu pecari (White-lipped peccary) was the most hunted species in terra firme and Cairina moschata (Muscovy duck) in várzea. Restrictions to the fauna consumption was more common in indigenous than caboclos communities. Xenarthra were the vertebrate group most rejected by indigenous groups and primates and carnivores by caboclos. Hunting was done using four basic strategies. Walking through the forest with shotguns was the most frequently used strategy, followed by hunting with dogs. Aside from the subsistence hunting by local people, is common in this region, the sport-hunting of aquatic birds is practiced by people from nearby cities. The communities presented distinct hunting territories which sometimes overlapped. The size of hunting territories was highly correlated to the number of inhabitants of the community.