Potential Threat of the International Aquarium Fish Trade to Silver Arawana Osteoglossum Bicirrhosum in the Peruvian Amazon
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Oryx Vol 40 No 2 April 2006 Potential threat of the international aquarium fish trade to silver arawana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum in the Peruvian Amazon Marie-Annick Moreau and Oliver T. Coomes Abstract Silver arawana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum are and in urgent need of research, monitoring and man- increasingly popular on the international aquarium fish agement. Outright bans on arawana fishing are likely market, but the routine killing of mouth brooding adults to be ineffective and to destabilize an export fishery that to collect juveniles for the trade may threaten wild popu- provides significant part-time employment for the rural lations. We describe the aquarium trade and fishery for poor and substantial foreign earnings. Experimental silver arawana in the Peruvian Amazon. This is the first studies are called for that compare the impacts on such report on the species for South America, and is arawana yields of alternate fishing techniques, such as based on field interviews with trade participants and catch and release of brooding males, as a basis for devel- fishermen, and on a review of government statistics. The oping more effective management schemes in Amazonia. regional trade is large, expanding and valuable (over 1 million juveniles worth USD 560,000 exported in 2001), Keywords Amazonia, aquatic conservation, arawana, of considerable economic importance to the rural poor, ornamental fish, Osteoglossidae, Peru. Introduction found only in the Rio Negro, the South American osteoglossids are widespread, occurring in the Amazon The global trade in aquarium fishes is a little studied yet basin, the western Orinoco and the Rupununi and valuable wildlife industry, estimated to have generated 3 Essequibo systems of the Guianas, although not above billion USD in retail sales of fishes alone in 1999 (Olivier, cataracts (Goulding, 1980). Silver arawana (also called 2001). Collection of wild fishes for the trade is known to arowana or arowhana in English, arahuana in Spanish have negative effects on certain species, as demonstrated and aruanã in Portuguese) are found primarily in flood- by local population extinctions of freshwater aquarium plain lakes, where they are able to tolerate low oxygen species in South-east Asia (Banister, 1989; Ng & Tan, levels (Val & de Almeida-Val, 1995). As water levels rise 1997) and declines in at least two South American species with the annual floods, arawana move laterally into the (Chao & Prada-Pedreros, 1995; Crampton, 1999). The flooded forests (Lowe-McConnell, 1975). The fish is rela- Asian arawana Scleropages formosus is one of only a few tively sedentary, however, not engaging in migrations aquarium fishes whose international trade is restricted along the main river channels (Bayley & Petrere, 1989). under CITES; it was listed on Appendix I in 1975 as a It is a long, laterally compressed fish (maximum length response to over-collection of juveniles and adults. Since of c. 1 m) covered in large, iridescent, bony scales, the CITES listing trade in its close relative, the silver and is distinguished by its two chin barbels and a arawana of South America Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, has increased steadily (Tello & Cánepa, 1991; Ministerio de large, upwardly angled mouth (Goulding, 1980). A slow- Pesquería, 2001). swimming predator, arawana stay in well lit surface O. bicirrhosum is one of only seven extant species of waters along the shoreline, feeding primarily on insects bony-tongue fishes (Family Osteoglossidae). Osteo- and spiders that fall in the water (Goulding, 1980). The glossids are restricted to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, species also eats crabs, fishes and snakes, and has earned Australia and South America, with Arapaima gigas and the name water monkey for its habit of jumping out of the O. ferreirai, in addition to O. bicirrhosum, from South water to catch insects, birds on low branches, and even America (Moyle & Cech, 2004). Apart from O. ferreirai, bats (Goulding, 1980). Adult arawana spawn at low water, as flood waters are beginning to rise (Goulding, 1980). According to Marie-Annick Moreau and Oliver T. Coomes (Corresponding author) fishermen, juveniles (alevinos) become available c. 2 Department of Geography, McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke St. W., months later. Fecundity is extremely low, with females Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada. E-mail [email protected] carrying relatively few, large eggs at spawning (180–210; Received 2 November 2004. Revision requested 1 March 2005. Goulding, 1980; Val & de Almeida-Val, 1995). The male Accepted 19 September 2005. arawana provides parental care to the eggs and young, 152 © 2006 FFI, Oryx, 40(2), 152–160 doi:10.1017/S0030605306000603 Printed in the United Kingdom Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.40.219, on 25 Sep 2021 at 12:57:17, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605306000603 Trade in silver arawana 153 gathering the eggs in a special pouch in its mouth after Manaus in 2003; N.L. Chao, pers. comm), Colombia fertilization. After the eggs hatch, the male continues to and Guyana. Peru’s Amazonian fish trade is centered on keep the larvae entirely in its mouth for up to 3 weeks the city of Iquitos, capital of the Department of Loreto (Schaller & Dorn, 1971). Only once the alevinos are 25– (Fig. 1). With >300,000 inhabitants Iquitos is the largest 40 mm long and have absorbed their yolk-sac are they urban area in the Peruvian Amazon and the main market released from the male’s mouth for occasional feeding, for most of the commodities produced or extracted in the returning at the first sign of danger (Schaller & Dorn, region (Barham et al., 1999; Kvist et al., 2001). Iquitos is at 1971; Goulding, 1990). At 4–6 weeks young are left to the hub of an extensive river transportation network but fend for themselves (Goulding, 1990). Silver arawana are lacks roads to the rest of Peru and commercial flights thought to reach sexual maturity after 2 years (Lowe- to international destinations. In 2001, 28 aquarium fish McConnell, 1975), with hobbyist web sites reporting that firms were established, drawing in supplies from at least the fish can live for up to 20 years in captivity. 21 major rivers and exporting >9 million fishes (offi- Silver arawana are seen as good luck symbols in Asian cially worth 2.5 million USD free-on-board, i.e. cost of households and businesses, a belief that stems from goods before freight, packing and duties) to national and the species’ resemblance to the Asian arawana. In the international clients in 24 countries, via Lima (Ministerio 1970s Chinese and Japanese businessmen keeping the de Pesquería, 2001). The local export industry was first Asian arawana began associating the red and deep established in the 1950s, supplying small fishes (e.g. gold colouration of some specimens with the traditional the neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi) primarily to North colours of prosperity, sparking an Asian boom in the American markets, but declined precipitously in the species’ trade (Ng & Tan, 1997). International restrictions late 1970s as a result of increasing competition from on the sale of Asian arawana followed, leading traders captive-breeders abroad (Hanek, 1982). The industry has to develop captive breeding initiatives (Ng & Tan, 1997), experienced a resurgence since the early 1990s, due to to obtain wild specimens by illegal means (Matsumura & local firms re-orienting their exports towards larger, Milliken, 1984), and to shift to replacement species. The higher-value species (including silver arawana) for silver arawana serves this last purpose, having the same Asian clients. general shape as Asian arawana, a metallic colour associ- Few legislative controls are in place for the region’s ated with money, and the ability to eat prodigiously and ornamental fisheries, and none relate specifically to the grow rapidly in captivity, taken to symbolise wealth silver arawana. The main piece of national legislation accumulation. The fish is also appreciated outside Asia on Peruvian Amazon fisheries (Reglamento de for its size, graceful movements and prehistoric appear- Ordenamiento Pesquero en la Amazonía Peruana, Minis- ance. Juveniles are the preferred targets of trade, as they terial Resolution No. 147-2001-PE) requires all fishermen can be held and shipped at higher densities, and so at lower costs, than adults. In North America, based on an of ornamental fish to be licensed, calls on collectors and October 2005 internet search of aquarium fish retailer traders to minimize mortality in transport and holding, and hobbyist sites, silver arawana larvae with yolk sacs and bans collection from the wild and sale of the fry and retail for 10–20 USD, 10–20 cm juveniles for 25–65 USD, juveniles of 41 species also deemed to be important to the and adults for 100 USD or more, depending on size. commercial food fishery. Silver arawana is not included Although the silver arawana shares many of the life on this list. history characteristics that make the Asian arawana vulnerable to overexploitation, i.e. late maturity, low Methods fecundity and mouth-brooding, there is limited moni- toring of the species and few trade controls in place. Data came from fieldwork conducted by MAM and a Here we argue, based on observations from the Peruvian local research assistant in June–September 2002 as part Amazon, for the need to develop research and man- of a study of the organization and livelihood role of the agement plans for the silver arawana because of its Peruvian Amazon aquarium fish trade. Semi-structured vulnerability and regional economic importance. To our interviews (consisting of a set of open ended questions) knowledge this is the first account of the conservation were held with 12 representatives of 10 Iquitos export status, trade and fishery of O. bicirrhosum. firms selected to reflect the range, both in size (i.e.