Hydroelectric plants and their dangers

In the morning, 20 fishermen received the news that their mother had arrived at the Arpuana River due to the hydroelectric plants, the largest river in the Madeira Amazon Basin.

In the village of Novo Aripuanã, on the western shore of the Amazon, it is time to end a tiring week of fishing split between three wooden boats and sailboats.

It should be simple: school, await the buoy, set the net.

No sign of the “wombat” (Brycon melanopterus) around 11 AM.

Half of the fishermen returned to town on the main boat.

On the shore, in the turquoise and blue waters of central Madeira, the fishermen catch everything while the Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) and the tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) rest.

They are fishermen. “The river is so dry that the storms don’t reach here,” said Raimundo Diaz.

At the end of April, the waters of the Madeira transition from the rainy season to the dry season, forming calm waters, a school of fish. Lagoons, lakes, and rivers.

They eat the fruits, seeds, and heads that fall into the Igapó and wetland areas of Madeira.

However, in recent decades, the river has undergone sudden and permanent changes that have made navigation difficult.

Scientists and fishermen agree on this point.

Different ends of the hydroelectric projects on the Madeira River, two large units installed in neighboring countries.

“This is Rondônia, but it’s higher and has gone through four droughts or more before stressing the fish too much,” Diaz said.

An Unpredictable River in the Hydro Plants

The Santo Antonio plant in Porto Velho was inaugurated in 2010.

It opened in March 2012 and is the fifth largest in Brazil.

According to Diaz, the species most affected by the hydroelectric power are predominantly used in the region: fuku (Mylosoma), cavala (Leporinus fasciatus), sardinha (Trifortius aretus, T., S. taniurus).

They are difficult to buy and available in large quantities. Mercado Municipal (Brachyplatystoma rauthexi) and Piramutaba (B. blaintii).

This food scarcity has affected not only commerce but also the diet of the inhabitants of Novo Arepuana.

Fish, an important source of protein for the population of the Amazon Basin, has become increasingly expensive in markets and restaurants.

“We sell Matrinex for five dollars.

“Now it costs $40,” says Diaz.

Fishing in the town of Humetá, on the border with Rondônia, takes time.

When the river dries up, many animals from the lower Amazon enter the Madeira Ocean and cross the White Waters Bay.

But fisherman José Pessoa, 58, said that after the dam was built, the river flooded and reached its peak.

“The fish must grow as fast as possible,” he said.

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Source of information: brasil.mongabay.com

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