How illegal are tropical small-scale fisheries? An estimate for arapaima in the Amazon

Illegal fishing is a problem that affects about 30% of the world fisheries capture, but most studies on the topic to date have focused on large-scale fisheries, leaving tropical small-scale fisheries nearly unstudied even though they possess many features that foster illegal fishing. This article investigated illegal fishing practices for Arapaima spp. in the Lower Amazon Basin, using semi structured interviews and catch and enforcement data. It was found that 77% of the arapaima landings were illegal, with most specimens being caught below the minimum size limit or during the closed season. Also, 86% and 43% of the interviewees stated they have observed declining trends in the landings and size of arapaima, respectively. Finally, spatial and temporal patterns of arapaima landings were not matched by rule enforcement activities. Inadequate enforcement of management rules, combined with geographical dispersion of fishing activities, appear to be a key factors allowing for high levels of illegal fishing, which contribute to the decline of fish populations.