A governança do manejo do pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) e os conflitos socioambientais na região do Arari – Itacoatiara / AM

Abstract

The governance of common-pool resources in the Amazon, particularly regarding the management of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), constitutes a strategic field for socio-environmental conservation and the promotion of alternative models of sustainable development. This dissertation analyzes the governance of pirarucu management and the socio-environmental conflicts that emerge in the community of São João do Araçá, located in the Arari River region, municipality of Itacoatiara/AM. Organized into three chapters, the study articulates the theoretical, social, institutional, and technical dimensions of community-based management. The first chapter presents a theoretical-conceptual review of common-pool resource governance, socio-environmental conflicts, and institutional arrangements, highlighting the advances and challenges of participatory management in the Amazon. The second chapter characterizes the fishers’ socioeconomic profile, analyzing the stages of management (stock assessment, harvesting, processing, and commercialization) in relation to social roles, power relations, and traditional knowledge within the community. The final chapter deepens the analysis of institutional arrangements regulating management, revealing tensions between local practices, legal frameworks, and external pressures such as invasions, illegal fishing, and inequalities in gender and generational participation. Methodologically, the research adopts a mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, based on interviews, questionnaires, participant observation, and document analysis. The results indicate that pirarucu management in Lago do Babaçu has contributed to fish stock recovery, community strengthening, and income generation, while also highlighting power disputes, institutional weaknesses, and challenges of multi-level governance. The study demonstrates that community-based pirarucu management represents a paradigmatic model of productive conservation in the Amazon, grounded in the integration of traditional knowledge, community participation, and public policies. However, its long-term sustainability depends on institutional strengthening, the inclusion of women and youth, and the implementation of structural policies that ensure environmental justice and socio-ecological resilience.