A vida comanda o Rio: etnoecologia dos pescadores de três comunidades do rio Cuieiras, Baixo rio Negro, AM

Abstract

The forms of land use and management of natural resources by different human populations are influenced not only by the availability and distribution of resources, but also by a series of standards and socio-cultural relations that govern their use. Thus, for a better understanding of the dynamics of exploration approaches are needed that include the interaction between ecological and social systems. In this context, studies of ethnoecology emerge as a tool for analyzing the relationships between human populations and the environment. Fishing, an important activity throughout the Amazon basin is highly linked to the life of people living along the rivers of the region. Thus, the present study intends to deal with the ecological knowledge on the ichthyofauna maintained by the residents of three communities of Cuieiras River, Rio Negro-AM, their representations about the aquatic environment, and how these translate into practical knowledge of interaction with the fish fauna. The information was obtained through semi-structured interviews, monitoring of fisheries and participant observation, a total of 95 days in the area. Locals knew about in detail aspects of feeding behavior, reproductive location and habits of aquatic organisms involved in fishing activity. Moreover, the results suggest that cultural aspects of preference (or taboo) influence on food choice and form of exploitation of fisheries resources, and also that these aspects can be related to local environmental and cultural context and origin of the inhabitants. Although frequently coincide with scientific knowledge, local knowledge have different interpretations, resulting in marked differences in approach to the aquatic universe and the beings involved in fishing. However, it is based on these worldviews that these populations interact with the elements of their surroundings, so that they become so, equally valid ways of seeing the world. Finally, in trying this approach, what is at stake is the right reserved to people maintainers of these ways of seeing the world, to establish relationships that are also able to make decisions about how to interact with the environment. Thus, when talking about approaches 'participatory' for the management of natural resources, one should take seriously what everyone involved in the use of water have to say.