Video credit: Paola Luna Morales (Bolivia)
Review: Paola Luna Morales and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the video channel)
It is common in the “Beni” river to see the fishermen on their boats with outboard motor while using their sacks to keep their catch of fish alive until they return to the nearest town to sell their catch; in this case to Rurrenabaque which is a small town lies on the east bank of the Beni River whereas fish constitutes an important part of the diet of the local population, especially in the wet season.
In this particular case, the captured species is a surubi (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) which is a nocturnal predator that feeds mainly on other fish and crabs (also known as barred catfish).
It may worth noting and based on research findings, there is a concern about the contamination of carnivorous fish caught in the Beni River and its tributaries with mercury resulting from the gold-mining activities which take place in the upper Beni River basin. However, as mining activities in this region are declining, many miners have turned to fishing as a livelihood.
