Declining biodiversity in Amazonian wild fisheries threatens human diets

A recent study of dozens of species of wild fish commonly found in the Peruvian Amazon indicates that if fish biodiversity continues to decline, people there may suffer severe nutritional shortages

Amazonian fisheries have long been the backbone of indigenous peoples and modern development.

Researchers say that different types of plants and animals contain different proportions of nutrients, so biodiversity is the key to adequate nutrition for humans

Studying fish in the area, the lead author of this study was a PhD at Columbia University at the time

The fish were airlifted on ice to a government laboratory in Lima, where the protein, fatty acids and trace minerals of each fish were analyzed

In general, the biomass of fish caught in recent years has remained stable

"Like any other complex system, you will see a trade-off," Heilborn said that some things are rising and some things are falling

The researchers observed that from 2010 to 2016, chicken production in the region increased by about three-quarters, and aquaculture almost doubled

In addition, chicken farming and aquaculture have far greater pressure on the environment than fishing

"Inland fish is the basic nutrition of many low-income and food-deficit countries, and of course there are inland countries, John Valbo Jø he is an inland fishery expert of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and many important inland fisheries.

Heilborn is currently working with the Wildlife Conservation Society to produce a graphical guide for the fish in the area, including their nutritional value.

Journal Reference :

1. Sebastian A.