Effects of fisheries management on fish communities in the floodplain lakes of a Brazilian Amazonian Reserve

Abstract

We compared fish abundance, diversity and species composition between lakes open (fished) and closed (no-take) to fishing activities in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in the Central Brazilian Amazon, in order to investigate potential influences of the common-based management. We sampled 1483 fishes from 70 species through gillnet fishing during the low-water season, in seven fished and seven no-take lakes. Contrary to expected, the mean values for abundance, size, diversity and species-richness of fish did not differ between fished and no-take lakes. There was no difference between fished and no-take lakes considering only the abundance of the 14 fish species more intensely targeted by fishermen. However, the abundance of an important commercial fish, the tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) was higher in no-take lakes. Such data from a rapid assessment may be useful to monitor this and other fishery co-management schemes. © 2008 Blackwell Munksgaard.