This document summarizes a conservation project studying interactions between fisheries and freshwater dolphins in the Mamirauá and Amanã Sustainable Development Reserves in Brazil. The project aims to understand incidental captures, intentional killings, and competition for resources between boto and tucuxi dolphins and local fisheries. Fieldwork in 2012 focused on surveying sectors in both reserves, speaking to fishermen about bait usage and productivity, and analyzing biological samples from any dolphin carcasses found to determine causes of death. The goal is to generate conclusive data on dolphin habitat areas, threats from fisheries, impacts of fisheries on dolphin populations, and the use of dolphins as bait to help develop management

1. 20/10/2014 Verónica Iriarte | The Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation
http://www.rufford.org/rsg/projects/ver%C3%B3nica_iriarte 1/1
Stranded boto dolphin.
Veronica and João doing necropsy of an entangled boto.
ABOUT THE GRANTS
Home
Latest News
How to Apply
About the Foundation
Useful links and friends
FUNDED PROJECTS
Recently Added
Recently Updated
Project Videos
By Region
By Year
SEARCH
Search
PROJECT MAP
Click to View Projects.
CONFERENCES
About RSG Conferences
2012 Armenia
2012 Nepal
2013 Bolivia/Peru
2013 Cuba
2013 India - Bangalore
2013 India - New Delhi
2013 Kenya
2014 Indonesia
2014 Myanmar
2014 Rwanda
Verónica Iriarte
Interactions of Boto and Tucuxi Dolphins with Fisheries at Mamirauá (MSDR) and Amanã (ASDR) Sustainable
Development Reserves, Amazonas, Brazil
Town/Region Country Categories Date
Rio Japurá
Rio Solimões
Brazil
Central and Latin America, Cetaceans,
Marine
7 Jun
2012
Low resiliency of rivers and increasing anthropogenic activities make
freshwater cetaceans to be considered vulnerable. In Amazonia the
interactions of boto (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) dolphins
with fishing activities are common. As dolphins scavenge in fishing nets and
damage gear, fishermen consider them competitors. In recent years boto
illegal hunt for bait for the piracatinga (Calophysus macropterus) fishery has
been reported, however there are no conclusive data.
The general objective of the project is to study the existent interactions
(incidental captures, intentional kills, competition for fishing resources) of the
Amazonian dolphins with fishing activities at the MSDR and ASDR in order to
evaluate the impacts on their populations and contribute to the development
of a management plan to minimize losses. During 2011 the research focused on
2 sectors of the northern portion of the MSDR focal area (Aranapu and Boa
União) and 1 sector of the ASDR (Coraci), where piracatinga fishery occurs year
round.
During 2012 fieldwork is being focused on other 4 sectors of the MSDR (Jarauá
and Mamirauá on the Japurá; Liberdade and Ingá on the Solimões) and 2 of the
ASDR (Coraci and São José). Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute´s
(MSDI) floating bases Jarauá and Cauaçu, are being used as the main research
platforms. Two-week field trips (with a week interval between each of them)
are constantly conducted, and a MSDI 15 HP outboard motor metal skiff is
employed to visit and identify fishing communities. For categorizing the
fisheries informal conversations with fishermen and local people in general
are generated so as to obtain information on fishing effort, type of gear, type
of dolphin interaction and human behaviour towards them. Communities with
high piracatinga fishery activity are constantly surveyed to search for bait
clues (dolphin or caiman).
Informal conversations with piracatinga fishermen are generated to get knowledge on the use of each type of bait and productivity. If
cetacean carcasses are found, sex, age class and cause of death are determined, if possible. Biological samples are taken for genetic,
parasitological, and stomach content analysis. Through this project conclusive data on the clue habitat areas for cetaceans, threats,
piracatinga fishery production, and number of dolphins used as bait in the study area will be generated.
For further information contact veronica@mamiraua.org.br or visit http://www.mamiraua.org.br/
Project Updates
Read about the latest progress of this project in the articles below.
File Download Size
Aquatic Mammals 2013, 39(2) 421.69 KB
J. Cetacean Res. Manage.13(2) 163–173, 2013 1.18 MB
Final Report
Read more about the activities undertaken and findings of this project in the final report below.
File Download Size
Final Report 352.05 KB
Ameaças aos golfinhos amazônicos (Inia geoffrensis, Sotalia fluviatilis) no baixo rio Japurá 1.64 MB
Uso de Delfines (Inia geoffrensis, Sotalia fluviatilis) Como Carnada el las rds Mamiraua y Amana 741.92 KB
Livros de Resumos 9º Seminário Anual de Pesquisas do Instituto Mamirauá 1.47 MB
Poster 824 KB
Other Projects in: Central and Latin America Cetaceans Marine
© 2014 The Rufford Foundation. Website by Wide Media. Social Icons by Paul Robert Lloyd.