IndiGenouS amazon community FiShery

​ Indigenous communities in the Amazon are deeply connected to the Arapaima, the largest fish in the Amazon. Being an airbreather, the fish can easily be spotted and hunted. Overexploited in the past, Arapaima stocks have been recovering thanks to improved management, research and strict surveillance.

Blueyou’s local partner JURUA INSTITUTE fosters collaboration between science and indigenous communities’ leadership to ensure biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of natural resources and improvement of the quality of life for river communities in the Amazon.

​ In a collaborative effort, more than 120 communities along the Jurua River are participating in the conservation program which restores stocks of Arapaima and develops specific conservation and management plans for each community across an area of 850’000 ha of rainforest.

For the management and harvesting of Arapaima, hundreds of oxbow lakes in the rainforest become the key focus: During the dry season, when the rainforest is not flooded, all fish draw back into the lakes. Here, they can be counted and based on set quota, every fifth lake is harvested.

The concept is a co-existence between primary rainforest and sustainable extraction of natural resources by local communities. Sustainably harvested Arapaima provides more than 80% of the communities’ annual income!

Successful coexistence between nature and people is only possible if local communities thrive. The initiated Fair Trade certification program will drive recognition by markets and support connecting indigenous communities with global consumers.

One key component of the conservation program is the strict monitoring of all catches of Arapaima. Every single fish caught is tagged and officially registered, creating the basis for traceability and effective combating of illegal fishing.

​ As global export and market development partner, Blueyou supervises the processing and manufacturing of products and monitors quality assurance protocols to safeguard compliance with global food safety norms.

​ The Amazon basin is the largest rainforest ecosystem on our planet. It regulates global climate and hosts the highest diversity of species. The Amazon is humanity’s lifeline for stable and viable conditions to survive.

Under the name of “ Taste of Amazon”, Blueyou and its local partners JURUA and ASPROC are promoting sustainably harvested Arapaima and link the conservation program with conscious seafood buyers and consumers worldwide.