Pescado comercializado nos mercados municipais no município de Benjamin Constant na região do Alto rio Solimões, Amazonas, Brasil

Abstract

Fish marketing plays a central role in the local economy and food security in Amazonian municipalities, offering a variety of species that vary with the Amazon water cycle, affecting prices and working conditions. This study investigated the dynamics of fish traded in the two municipal markets of Benjamin Constant in the upper Solimões region of Amazonas, Brazil. The data were collected through qualitative and quantitative descriptive interviews with fishermen and traders in the two municipal markets. Eighteen fishermen and traders were interviewed, and 20 visits to the markets recorded 35 fish species, distributed among 14 families, being traded. The conclusion is that the markets are important centers for fish marketing and fundamental to the local economy. During periods of low water, extreme drought, and high water levels of the Solimões River, there is a variation in the species (richness) of fish traded, which leads to a variation in the average value of the fish traded. The extreme drought (very low river level) creates difficulties in catching and transporting fish, generally leading to scarcity and higher prices for fish sold in the two municipal markets.