Determinación de la relación entre la abundancia de peces con importancia comercial y su impacto socioeconómico a la comunidad pesquera en dos tramos, zona alta y media del río Guaviare

Abstract

Fisheries and aquaculture in Colombia occur along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, as well as in surface waters, especially in the main basins of the Magdalena, Amazon, Orinoco and Sinú rivers, where fish are caught for consumption as food, and for the ornamental market. Aquaculture production is largely dominated by inland freshwater fish farming; although the fisheries sector represents less than 0.2% in contribution to GDP, it generates employment, income and food in rural areas where one of the main economic development activities is artisanal fishing (OECD, 2016). These activities are also a response to high rates of biodiversity and greater fish diversity, however, this diversity in turn implies a relatively low abundance of each species, therefore, fish harvest is low and ecosystems are particularly fragile. Hence the importance of generating knowledge and research that contribute to the fishing sector, and its relationship with the diversity of aquatic species, and the socioeconomic dynamics that occur in the Guaviare River, the object of study of this research. The Guaviare, Meta, and Guainía rivers, together with their tributaries, are the main sources of fishery resources in Colombia. Production methods are divided into two: extraction (artisanal capture) and aquaculture (breeding and reproduction). The former is the most widely implemented, generating 97% of national production. Consequently, this sector is considered by the Colombian government as one of the potentials for sustainable growth; however, one of the main problems identified has been the low availability of data that would allow the construction of policies that integrate social, economic and environmental objectives necessary to achieve sustainable fishing. Consequently, this research seeks to contribute to the development of studies and/or projects that help consolidate information about the diversity of species for commercial purposes, betting on conservation strategies and sustainable fisheries, through the identification of the relationship between the abundance of commercially important fish and their socioeconomic impact in the Guaviare River. This objective was developed in three stages: the identification of aquatic species with commercial importance; the evaluation of physicochemical parameters that condition the abundance of the identified species; and, finally, the characterization of the socioeconomic impact generated by changes in the abundance of commercial fish. In the results, 15 species of fish with commercial importance were observed, three species of fish could not be observed due to the rainy season, by which these species migrate to other places, in the second instance the data obtained from the physicochemical parameters pH, conductivity, temperature and oxygen did not exceed the permissible limits established in the regulations and finally the socioeconomic impact is positive for the fishing community, thanks to the comparison matrix that was carried out, variables that influence socioeconomic factors were taken into account, such as : prices, increase in employment, demand for fish species, sizes, among others.