Current Status and Future Outlook of the Principal Commercially Cultivated Fish Species in the Amazon Basin

Abstract

Aquaculture of native Amazonian species offers a strategic pathway to enhance food and nutrition security, diversify rural livelihoods, and foster sustainable economic development across the Amazon Basin. Amid growing pressure on capture fisheries, accelerating climate change impacts, and persistent technological and market constraints affecting small-scale producers, there is an urgent need to transition toward more efficient, resilient, and regionally coordinated models of native-species aquaculture.

In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the support of INFOPESCA and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), is convening the Expert Workshop “AMAZÓNICOS: Current Status and Future Prospects of the Main Commercial Fish Species Cultivated in the Amazon Basin.” The workshop will gather leading specialists from Amazonian countries to exchange up-to-date technical knowledge, assess shared challenges, and identify concrete opportunities for regional cooperation to advance the sustainable development of native aquaculture systems.

Discussions will focus on high-value native species of major productive and commercial relevance, including tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), pacu and paco (Piaractus spp.), matrinxã (Brycon spp.), Amazonian catfish (Pseudoplatystoma spp.), as well as hybrid varieties. Through technical presentations, country assessments, and strategic dialogue, the workshop aims to generate actionable, consensus-driven recommendations to inform public policy design, strengthen institutional and technical capacities, and promote more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable aquaculture value chains.

The outcomes of the workshop will feed into the preparation of a FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Proceedings and a Policy Brief to support evidence-based decision-making by governments and reinforce regional collaboration within the framework of FAO’s Blue Transformation initiative.

Context

The sustainable expansion of aquaculture based on endemic Amazonian species with commercial potential has become a shared strategic priority for the countries of the Amazon Basin. This priority has been further underscored by recent technical and research missions undertaken by FAO in Argentina, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Paraguay, which revealed both the significant productive potential of these species and the structural constraints that continue to limit sectoral growth.

During the formulation of the Work Plan for the Nineteenth Regular Meeting of the Commission on Small-Scale, Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture for Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPESAALC) for the 2025–2026 biennium, the Secretariat facilitated a dynamic and constructive exchange that led to consensus and the formal adoption of the Plan. Five priority actions were agreed upon, including the implementation of a study and the organization of a workshop to exchange experiences on native species aquaculture in the Amazon region. This workshop directly responds to that mandate and contributes to advancing the Commission’s agreed priorities.

Spanning nearly seven million km² across Brazil, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and French Guiana, the Amazon Basin hosts the highest diversity of freshwater fish species in the world. Many of these species exhibit favorable biological, ecological, and zootechnical traits for aquaculture development, alongside steadily increasing demand in local and regional markets.

Aquaculture systems in the region remain predominantly semi-intensive, largely based on pond and reservoir production and heavily dependent on small-scale producers. These producers face persistent and interrelated challenges, including high input and production costs, limited access to quality feed and seed, insufficient technical assistance, regulatory bottlenecks, constraints in value addition, and weak integration into extra-regional markets. Despite these obstacles, native-species aquaculture continues to play a vital role in generating income and employment, strengthening rural economies, and enhancing food and nutrition security across the basin.

Against this backdrop, advancing the aquaculture of native Amazonian species through technological innovation, strengthened institutional and human capacities, improved governance frameworks, and enhanced regional cooperation represents a critical pathway toward more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient aquatic food systems.

General Objective

To foster a structured and results-oriented exchange of knowledge on technological advances, innovation pathways, governance frameworks, and the key challenges and strategic opportunities related to the sustainable cultivation of native fish species with high commercial potential in the Amazon Basin.

Specific Objectives

• To showcase recent technological advancements and innovation trends in the culture of native Amazonian fish species;
• To analyze country-level challenges and opportunities shaping the development of native-species aquaculture across the Amazon Basin;
• To evaluate national and regional requirements for technical assistance, institutional support, and capacity development in the cultivation of native Amazonian fish;
• To define strategic development priorities and generate actionable recommendations and knowledge products that enable the sustainable, well-coordinated, and regionally integrated expansion of native-species aquaculture.

Expected Results

By the end of the workshop, the following outcomes are anticipated:

• A consolidated and regionally endorsed assessment of the current status of native Amazonian fish aquaculture, highlighting key achievements, structural constraints, and emerging development trends.
• A consensus-driven identification of the principal technological, production-related, regulatory, and market bottlenecks limiting sectoral growth and competitiveness.
• A clear set of agreed regional priorities for research, technological innovation, and institutional and human capacity development.
• Strategic, evidence-based recommendations to inform the design, refinement, or implementation of public policies that foster sustainable native-species aquaculture.
• Well-structured technical contributions to underpin the development of a FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report and an accompanying Policy Brief.
• Enhanced and institutionalized networks for technical cooperation and knowledge exchange among institutions, experts, and Amazon Basin countries.