Mortandades masivas del camarón de río Cryphiops caementarius causadas por la crisis hídrica en el norte Semiárido de Chile

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cryphiops caementarius is an amphidromous freshwater prawn endemic to the basins of Peru and northern Chile, where its populations are strongly threatened by hydric and fishing overexploitation. Mortalities of C. caementarius caused by canalization and water extraction in the Choapa River Basin are reported during March 2020 in Tunga Norte (⁓250 specimens) and January 2021 in Limahuida (⁓300 specimens). This situation was also reported in other basins in the Semiarid north of Chile during 2014 and 2018. These changes are related to the water crisis facing this country zone and reflects a mismatching in the water management in the face of the socio-economic development and native species conservation.