FISHERIES RESOURCES: A historical and cultural approach to fishing in the Pantanal of Cáceres, Mato Grosso
Artisanal fishing, Management, Cáceres
Anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity are a global concern, given that biodiversity decline is associated with the disruption of vital ecosystem services. In this context, fishing, as an anthropogenic activity, exerts pressure on biodiversity, particularly in the Northern Pantanal region, where it is a significant economic and cultural activity that contributes to local food security. This study describes small-scale fishing in the Upper Paraguay Basin based on 54.579 fish landing records from fishermen's associations in Cáceres between 2019 and 2025. We also assessed the stocks of pacu, pintado, cachara, and piraputanga, four migratory species of economic and cultural importance, using length-frequency data from the Paraguay River and growth parameters derived from studies in the Cuiabá River Basin. We observed that fishing activity is concentrated primarily in the Paraguay River and near urban areas, a strategy to reduce travel costs. Catches are dominated by migratory species such as pacu, pintado, cachara, and piavuçu, with peak activity occurring between February and April. Production declined after 2022, influenced by the pandemic, drought, wildfires, and changes in fishing regulations. However, the catch per unit effort (CPUE) remained relatively stable, with no significant spatial relationship between catch composition and geographic distance. Regarding stock status, we demonstrated that piraputanga showed the most consistent signs of fishing pressure under both natural mortality scenarios, whereas pintado appeared to be in a less concerning state. For pacu and cachara, the interpretation of stock status depended on the natural mortality model adopted. Sensitivity analysis revealed that changes in growth and mortality parameters could influence the interpretation of conclusions regarding stock status. As the growth parameters were estimated by previous studies about two decades ago, our results should be interpreted with caution.