O conhecimento ecológico local dos manejadores de Pirarucu Arapaima gigas (SCHINZ, 1822) Na Rds-Piagaçu Purus, Setor Caua-Cuiuanã, Beruri – Amazonas.

Abstract

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been promoted as a potential tool to access information about natural resources. In the Amazon, fishing for pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), a significant fishing resource with high commercial value, represents an important activity for traditional management communities that carry out fishing through fishing agreements or fisheries management. These communities interact with the environment and available resources, which are familiar with bioecology in a traditional way. Thus, the objective of this work was to investigate the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of the managers of the Sustainable Development Reserve - Piagaçu Purus (RDS-PP), Amazonas - Brazil. Semi-structured questionnaires were carried out in the Caua-Cuiuanã sector in the RDS-Piagaçu Purus during the period from November 4 to 20, 2022, to obtain data to characterize the socioeconomic profile and local ecological knowledge of fishermen on the bioecological aspects of pirarucu. 52 managers were interviewed. The management of RDS-Piagaçu Purus, Caua-Cuiuanã sector, is carried out by men with an average age of 36 years, who start fishing at 10 years old. The level of schooling is mostly incomplete fundamental. The CEL ranking performed among the fishermen is proportional to the years of experience within the management. The LEK points evaluated in relation to the literature were similar, with the exception of the information on the maximum weight and length reached by the species.