Traditional populations and social conflicts in community-based management plans for pirarucu in protected territories in the Amazon

Abstract

Research on the conflict surrounding pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) fishing in a Conservation Unit in the Amazon region has evidenced the division among local residents between those who adhere to and those who reject the species management and conservation project promoted through collaboration between intercommunity associations and government, state, and federal institutions. In the last 20 years, the sustainable management of the pirarucu has led to the recovery of the species, considered highly endangered, and the improvement of the income of groups of fishers. Compliance means following institutionalized management and conservation protocols, such as catching fish only during a certain period of the year, size restrictions, and specific fishing techniques. Non-adherence means refusing to follow these protocols and not taking part in a community management agreement. The relationships constituted by management continue to structure themselves, also including issues with new technologies and markets. With this background, this proposal aims to place the issues surrounding community conservation within a historical and cultural context. It is thus about investigating the research's problem, namely: in what ways are traditional communities confronting and resolving conflicts that emerge within the context of community-based management? This research proposal will be developed at Indiana University (IU/USA) under the supervision of Professor Eduardo Sonnewend Brondizio. The choice reflects his long experience with research integrating social and environmental dimensions in the Amazon, his dedication to receiving and training Brazilian students with sandwich PhD scholarships, and his ongoing research project ("Integrating Cross-Scale Socio-Ecological Feedbacks In Freshwater Fisheries"). (AU)