The people of the Paumari is an example of unity in the annual fishing pirarucu

In its 11th and fishing, the people, the Paumari mobilized the 80’s indigenous people, and was able to catch 30,5 tons of arapaima

The people of the Paumari of the Tapauá river, carries out the management of the arapaima is 11 years old and is a reference to the other peoples of the excellence in the co-ordination of the work and the quality of the fish. Even with the experience gained, san Francisco Paumari, which co-ordinates the management, and wondered if people would be able to carry out fishing in the future.’It will be that we will be able to reach your quota? Will you be able to keep the position of the job? The drought is a big place, but we’re not going to fail!’

Adapting to the routines of the consolidated and by changing the initial planning, to the people of the Paumari was able to overcome the challenges and make a fishing day on the 28th of September to 18 October. The work, which is usually between 12 to 15 days, and this year it was extended by 20 days.

‘I-I have written in 20 days at sea, thinking about the rest of the fishermen, and the team from the floating ice, the cleaning, the body will not become weak and do not lose the drive to work, but wondering what we were going to do this fishery is between 12 and 15 days. Don’t know what we were going to take 20 days of catching air’, explains Frank.

New strategies

In the framework of the management of the people in the Paumari it’s great: there are four floating – three large and one small, which is home to bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and also a structure to store the fish in the engine and electrical power. In previous years, this structure is moved to the banks of the river, standing next to the lakes for fishing, in order to facilitate the work of the fishermen.

This year was the first time that the structure was fixed on a single spot, as the water level was too low, and the floating could get stuck at some point. This change has led to an increase in the cost of fuel, ice, and for the maintenance of the boats. ‘I-I can already see and feel the change in climate. It’s the one thing that you’re going to have to deal with in the next few years, it’s not going to leave it at that,’ says John, Paumari, in one of the 80 people who make up the staff of the fisheries.

The other strategy is to be adopted by the people of fishing in the lakes, the smaller, more central, as well as access to the ground. ‘I had a lake that you would spend 12 minutes in the quad. And I spent another 10 to 15 minutes away from the canoe to transport the fish to the float,’ says Francis.

It worked

In spite of the challenges posed by the drought, the people, the Paumari to be able to capture 495 pirarucu, resulting in some of 30.5 tonnes of fish. In spite of not being able to catch the quota allowed by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources (Ibama), which has a 650-fish, the fishing industry was considered to be a success.

The conquest, in the view of san Francisco, is the result of the strong cohesion of the people of the Paumari, and meaningful collaboration initiatives, such as in the Roots of the State’, a project carried out by the Operation in the Amazon’s Native (OPAN), and is sponsored by Petrobras, the brazilian Federal Government. It supports the management of people, the Paumari, since 2013, providing technical assistance and other inputs such as fuel, boat sealing ring / battery kits and personal protective equipment.

“We have plenty of the union, and the commitment to make it happen. I think this does give me an example for others who are new, who want to start the task. The european union is that we have come up with the things that will be,” says the co-ordinator of the situation. 

The Tapauá to Manacapuru

After you have finished fishing for the last step was to transport the fish to the fridge, it gets to production. The city of Tapauá, where the land’s native people, the Paumari, to the fridge, located in the town of Manacapuru, there are more than 300 km away from the hotel.

Your responsibility is to take the output from a 20-day work of the people, the Paumari it’s big, and it was in the hands of a team of four young indians, who had made the trip for the first time. With the dry river bed of the team, it was very difficult in many places, but for the six days of the voyage passed without incident, and the fish has been successfully delivered.

Alex, the Paumari it was the young man is responsible for co-ordinating with the team, and has the mind to get the job done. ‘It was my first time at this job, and I thank you very much for the confidence and trust of my people. I’m very excited for all of the right, the victory is for all of you!’, said.