Co-management and Spatial Features Contribute to Secure Fish Abundance and Fishing Yields in Tropical Floodplain Lakes

Empirical data are needed to show the efficacy of co-management, which is regarded as a promising approach to achieve conservation goals. In this study, we addressed the potential influence of fisheries co-management to increase fish abundance and fishing yields in the lower Tocantins River Basin (Brazilian Amazon), downstream from a large dam. We analyzed 590 fish landings (6.7 t of fish) from five fishing villages and 48 fish samples obtained using gillnets (10,378 fish from 101 species) in 12 floodplain lakes in four regions: two with incipient co-management and two unmanaged. The fish species richness did not differ among the regions, but the lakes in the regions that were co-managed had higher fish abundance (biomass and number of individuals) and a higher mean proportion of fish reproducing during the high water season. Fishers had higher catches per unit of effort in the co-managed regions than fishers in the non-managed regions. These results were also influenced by geographic factors (distance and accessibility of lakes), as fish biomass was higher in lakes that were distant from the main river and from the main city in the region. Managers should thus consider strategic selection of the geographic locations of managed sites, even in remote areas. However, the fish biomass sampled in lakes was more related to region than to the lakes’ geographical location. Therefore, co-management has at least partially contributed to increased fish abundance and fishing yields in the studied region, through the protection of an important fish habitat (lakes). We provide empirical evidence that co-management can contribute to the maintenance of fish abundance, sustainability of fisheries, and food security in large tropical rivers impacted by damming.