Save the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish - Two iconic fish species of the Amazon on the verge of collapse

Please support our project and we will virtually take you along on our adventure! Check the rewards in the donation section to see how we will keep you up to date. Additionally, every donor will receive an invitation to our Instagram.

We (Maximiliaan Claus and Florian Kappen) are two Master students in Biology at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. Within our study, we have been specializing in aquatic ecology and especially freshwater fish research. Our expertise is our passion and our life goal is the conservation of unique fish species. Thanks to our passion, we have managed to arrange a half-year graduation project for an NGO (Instituto Araguaia) in Brasil. Our research project targets the Arapaima, which is the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world and the Redtail Catfish, which is one of the largest catfish species in the Amazon. Both species are of great importance to the ecosystem, the economy and culture of South America. Due to human impact, numbers of both species are rapidly declining. Nowadays, the Arapaima depends on protected areas and conservation efforts for their survival and due to the lack of data, no information on the Redtail Catfish is available yet.

Our research area is Cantão State Park, one of the areas in Brasil where the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish are protected. Nonetheless, populations of both species are under severe pressure by poaching. The Arapaima is especially sensitive to this, as poaching causes entire broodstocks to be wiped out. Therefore, the main objective of our research project is to determine the effects of poaching on the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish. In addition, our project will provide valuable and crucial information on both species, as hardly any research has been performed on them at all! In Cantão State Park itself, no research on these species has ever been performed and therefore, the problems and impacts of poaching have never been addressed and no measures could be taken in order to properly protect the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish. This protection is essential for the preservation of these species and their habitat.

With our results, the NGO can imply new management strategies, which will allow the Arapaima and Redtail catfish populations in Cantão State Park to recover. By doing this, the entire ecosystem will be able to recover and become better protected. The results will also be used in order to educate the local people on the benefits of conservation and the negative impacts of poaching. Thanks to the recovery of the ecosystem and education, the local human communities will be able to focus themselves on alternative sources of income that will be beneficial in the long term, such as eco-tourism, sport fishing (catch and release) and nature research. Lastly, we hope to be able to write one of more scientific articles and create a video, which will enable us to share our findings on an international scale.

For this project we will need to hire a local ranger, who will guide us during our research. This ranger will provide us with knowledge on the area and its people. In addition, we are obligated to have him support us during fieldwork and ensure our safety. Therefore, the coöperation with this local ranger is of vital importance for this research, however the costs for this ranger have not been covered yet! To cover these costs, we will need your help! We have managed to finance our travel and accomodation costs from our personal savings, but unfortunately we are not able to meet the costs for this ranger. Therefore, your donation will contribute to covering these costs, and ultimately, the survival of two iconic species and their environment!