Productivity and fisheries monitoring in the Brazilian Amazon: insights from the Tocantins-Araguaia (State of Tocantins and Pará), Branco, and Jauaperi (State of Roraima) river basins

Despite its significant socio-economic, cultural, and food security relevance, continental artisanal fishing in Brazil continues to face persistent, long-standing challenges, chief among them, the chronic lack of reliable data. This study aims to assess and compare fishing productivity in two Amazonian regions: the TocantinsAraguaia basins (State of Tocantins and Pará) and the Branco and Jauaperi basins (State of Roraima). Through a participatory monitoring approach, more than 8,000 fishing landings were recorded between 2019 and 2021. Productivity was analyzed using Anova with Scott-Knott grouping (5% significance level) across variables including year, month, community, fishing gear, gender, expedition duration, and number of fishers. Results indicate that four-day expeditions involving two fishers yield the highest productivity. Although no evidence of overfishing was found, the study highlights the urgent need for an institutional agreement to establish permanent fish landing monitoring programs at local, regional, and national levels. Such initiatives are crucial to ensure the sustainability of artisanal fisheries and to protect the food security and livelihoods of Amazonian riverside communities.