Fish consumption on the Amazon: a review of biodiversity, hydropower and food security issues / Consumo de Peixes na Amazônia: uma revisão sobre biodiversidade, hidrelétricas e segurança alimentar

Abstract The lack of knowledge about the majority of fish species harvested in Amazonian small-scale fisheries, in association with impacts from hydroelectric power plants, may lead to biodiversity loss and a decrease in the protein food supply for riverine Amazonians. This study uses existing datasets on fisheries and riverine developmental projects to infer effects associated with fish losses where actual data and outcomes are not available. The targeted fish species' status may be regarded as either threatened or there being no knowledge of their conservation requirements, biology or ecology. Among the 90 Amazonian fish species that are the most important for the diet of the riverine fishers, 78% are not assessed or their biological information is unknown, according to the IUCN Red List. Consequently, the effects created by the thoroughly disregarded trade-off between energy generation and food security in the planning of Amazonian land use have been worsened by the lack of biological and ecological information on fish species.

Resumo A falta de conhecimento sobre a maioria das espécies alvo de comunidades pesqueiras da Amazonia, associada ao impacto das hidrelétricas pode levar ao descréscimo da biodiversidade e na disponibilidade de proteína para os ribeirinhos da Amazônia. As espécies alvo são vulneráveis ou pouco conhecidas em sua biologia ou ecologia. Dentre 90 espécies de peixes importantes na dieta dos ribeirinhos, 78% não são estudadas ou sua biologia é desconhecida, de acordo com a lista da UICN. Dessa forma, os efeitos criados pela negligenciada relação de custo e benefício entre a produção de energia e a segurança alimentar no planejamento da Amazônia tem ainda piorado a situação de desconhecimento sobre as espécies de peixes.

Fish consumption on the Amazon: a review of biodiversity, hydropower and food security issues.

The lack of knowledge about the majority of fish species harvested in Amazonian small-scale fisheries, in association with impacts from hydroelectric power plants, may lead to biodiversity loss and a decrease in the protein food supply for riverine Amazonians. This study uses existing datasets on fisheries and riverine developmental projects to infer effects associated with fish losses where actual data and outcomes are not available. The targeted fish species' status may be regarded as either threatened or there being no knowledge of their conservation requirements, biology or ecology. Among the 90 Amazonian fish species that are the most important for the diet of the riverine fishers, 78% are not assessed or their biological information is unknown, according to the IUCN Red List. Consequently, the effects created by the thoroughly disregarded trade-off between energy generation and food security in the planning of Amazonian land use have been worsened by the lack of biological and ecological information on fish species.

Fish consumption on the Amazon: a review of biodiversity, hydropower and food security issues

Abstract The lack of knowledge about the majority of fish species harvested in Amazonian small-scale fisheries, in association with impacts from hydroelectric power plants, may lead to biodiversity loss and a decrease in the protein food supply for riverine Amazonians. This study uses existing datasets on fisheries and riverine developmental projects to infer effects associated with fish losses where actual data and outcomes are not available. The targeted fish species status may be regarded as either threatened or there being no knowledge of their conservation requirements, biology or ecology. Among the 90 Amazonian fish species that are the most important for the diet of the riverine fishers, 78% are not assessed or their biological information is unknown, according to the IUCN Red List. Consequently, the effects created by the thoroughly disregarded trade-off between energy generation and food security in the planning of Amazonian land use have been worsened by the lack of biological and ecological information on fish species.

Resumo A falta de conhecimento sobre a maioria das espécies alvo de comunidades pesqueiras da Amazonia, associada ao impacto das hidrelétricas pode levar ao descréscimo da biodiversidade e na disponibilidade de proteína para os ribeirinhos da Amazônia. As espécies alvo são vulneráveis ou pouco conhecidas em sua biologia ou ecologia. Dentre 90 espécies de peixes importantes na dieta dos ribeirinhos, 78% não são estudadas ou sua biologia é desconhecida, de acordo com a lista da UICN. Dessa forma, os efeitos criados pela negligenciada relação de custo e benefício entre a produção de energia e a segurança alimentar no planejamento da Amazônia tem ainda piorado a situação de desconhecimento sobre as espécies de peixes.

Strategies to manage stream flow to benefit people and nature: a non-government conservation organisation's perspective.

More than for any other biome, freshwater biodiversity is increasingly imperiled, particularly due to poor stream flow management and increasing demand for water diversions. The adoption by the world's governments of targets to extend water services to the poor and at the same time to conserve biodiversity increase the need to better direct investments in freshwater management. In this paper WWF draws on examples from its work to identify areas where investment can be focused to assure efficient water use and improve stream flow management, namely: Prioritize and target those river basins and sub-catchments that are most critical for conservation of freshwater biodiversity to maintain stream flows; Link strategic field, policy and market interventions at different scales in river basins to maximize the impact of interventions; Implement the World Commission on Dams guidelines to minimize investment in large scale and costly infrastructure projects; Apply market mechanisms and incentives for more sustainable production of the world's most water consuming crops Enhance statutory river basin management organizations to draw on their regulatory and financial powers; Implement international agreements, such as the Convention on Wetlands; Integrate environment and development policies.

Modification of WR-2721 toxicity and radioprotection by an inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase.

We used levamisole, an inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase, to study the role of that enzyme in mediating the metabolic activation, toxicity, and radioprotection of WR-2721 in intact mice. We found the toxicity of WR-2721 was slightly decreased by prior subcutaneous (SQ) injection of 40 mg/kg of levamisole. In studying the effect of levamisole on WR-2721 radioprotection, we found that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of levamisole had little or no effect on radioprotection of the gastrointestinal and the hematopoietic systems. Even this small reduction of protection was due in part to the toxicity of levamisole as demonstrated when levamisole was injected following, rather than before, WR-2721-radiation treatment. To determine whether levamisole inhibited the activation (i.e., dephosphorylation) of WR-2721 to WR-1065, we assayed WR-1065 in the jejunum using an HPLC electrochemical assay. SQ injection of 75 mg/kg levamisole 10 min prior to WR-2721 reduced the WR-1065 observed 10 min after WR-2721 administration by 37%. In conclusion, levamisole appears to be too toxic and non-specific to be useful in studying and regulating the metabolism, toxicity and radioprotection of WR-2721.

Differential radioprotection of normal tissues by hydrophilic chemical protectors.

Analogous to certain radiosensitizers which are too hydrophilic to enter tumor cells, certain radioprotectors, because of their hydrophilicity, may also be hindered from entering tumor cells and thus protect only normal tissues. In testing this hypothesis, we utilized thin layer chromatography as convenient means to measure radioprotector hydrophilicity. Dose reduction factors (DRF's) for hematopoietic radioprotection were determined in BALB/c mice given half maximum tolerated doses (MTD/2) of 11 radioprotectors 30 min prior to graded doses of gamma rays. DRF's for tumor protection were determined in MCa-11 tumor-bearing mice using a regrowth delay assay. Differential radioprotection was found to be significantly correlated (r = 0.86) with hydrophilicity. Thus, radioprotector hydrophilicity appears to be a significant factor in the differential radioprotection observed and should be useful in designing or selecting better differential radioprotectors.

Early results of the screening program for radioprotectors.

Although WR-2721, S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioc acid, is the most widely studied and most effective radioprotective drug at present, it is nevertheless clear from animal studies that it has important shortcomings as the ideal radioprotector in clinical radiotherapy. More effective and less toxic radioprotective drugs are needed. For this reason, a chemical radioprotector screening program has been initiated at the Fox Chase Cancer Center under a contract with the National Cancer Institute. Most of the 20 compounds that have now entered the screening program provide good protection of the mouse hematopoietic system as indicated by 30 day survival following the radiation LD100/30. Administration of a radioprotector dose equal to one half of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD/2) gave hematopoietic dose reduction factors (DRF's) as high as 2.3. No radioprotector appeared to be superior to WR-2721, although four others gave DRF's exceeding 1.8.