HYDROELECTRIC DAMS FROM MADEIRA RIVER SEASONALLY IMPACTS THE FISHERIES PRODUCTION IN THE GUAPORÉ BASIN (RONDÔNIA, BRAZIL)

Abstract

In the Amazon region, fisheries play an important role in the socioeconomic and cultural context and are directly affected by changes in the hydrological cycle, which can interfere with the numbers and frequency of fish species landed. This study analyzed the variation of fishery production against the seasonality of the water level of the Guaporé River (a tributary of the Madeira River) using information contained in the records of fishery landings in the area under study. In addition, two periods pre (2000 to 2008) and post (2009 to 2019) installation of the Jirau and Santo Antônio dams in the Madeira River were considered. Fish production in the period prior to damming indicated linearity (r2 = 0.41) which was inversely proportional to the water levels of the Guaporé River, with low fish production in the flood and high production during the low water phases. However, for the period after damming, these variables showed low correlation (r2 = 0.14). Among the fish species exploited, 35.13% presented significant differences (p <0.05) between the production values for the periods before and after installation of the dams. Therefore, the results showed significant differences between the values of fishery production by species and phases of the hydrological cycle of the Guaporé River, which occurred in the periods pre and post damming of the Madeira River, which indicates that the hydroelectric dams have negatively impacted the fish stocks of this region. The information contained in this study is useful and serves as a basis for coherent decision-making, since it aids in the sustainable management and monitoring of fish stocks in the Madeira River Basin.