Last Thursday, August 20, indigenous communities of Leticia (Amazonas) saw with sadness how Caño Takana, located at kilometer 11 of the entrance road to the jungle, It was full of dead fish, the product of an ancient fishing technique called barbasco, which was apparently done without any kind of control.
“He barbasco It is an ancestral fishing technique of many indigenous communities in the Amazon and in the world. In which different plant extracts are crushed and then placed in baskets or bundles that when entering the water prevent the fish from breathing and they are easily collected, ”said Professor Santiago Duque, from the Imani Institute of the National University, Amazonia headquarters.
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Generally, this fishing technique is carried out in specific areas of the bodies of water, for which part of the tributary they place fences made of sticks or leaves. Apparently in this case, huge amounts of barbasco were introduced into the open river, which produced the environmental catastrophe.
Diverse indigenous communities such as Tikunas, Uitotos, Boras and several others coexist in the surroundings of the Caño Takana, which is why it is considered a multi-ethnic territory. In a statement made by the communities living in the Kilometer 6 Kilometer eleven reservation, they denounced that the events occurred at dawn on August 20.
“That same night the environmental police were called to support the search (of those responsible), however, they did not arrive until the morning of the following day in the company of Corpoamazonia. They did an eye check but finally communicated that the competition was from Aunap as the authority that regulates fishing; So far we do not have strong institutional support to support the investigation, as indigenous authorities we turn to the National University for advice, ”says the statement.
Several indigenous communities of different ethnic groups live in the areas surrounding the Takana stream. Photo: CEngineering & Geomatics ontorno – Harrison Calderón.
The aftermath of the damage to the Takana
The same statement states that bearded should be managed by a traditional council of elders and they are regulated by an ecological calendar as a form of population control in the delimited sectors.
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The indigenous authorities sought help from the National University when they found about 45 bundles of collected fish. “In those jungle streams they have one of the highest rates of biodiversity for space. Those streams have more than 200 species of fishIt is very close to all the fish biodiversity in the Magdalena and almost equal to that of the Australian continent ”, said researcher Duque.
In these jungle streams, about 80 percent of the fish species are miniature in size, ranging between 2 and 8 centimeters, and they are a source of food for other species. The other 10 percent of larger species are those harvested for human consumption.
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“For us this represents an ecocide. Studies carried out by Professor José Iván Mojica in these streams show that most of these species live their entire lives in a stretch of no more than 300 meters, that is, they do not migrate. PTherefore, the impact over five kilometers could be very great ”.
In addition to the impact on the communities living in the areas surrounding the Takana and the death of fish, What worries the researchers are the effects that also occur to the surrounding riparian forests.
In fact, jungle streams are vital for maintaining biodiversity. “There are species that live in these pipes and that serve as food for spiders, birds and bats. In other words, there is a reciprocal relationship between the water and the forest. The water and the forest are an integral element, if it affected one, the other also suffers the consequences. Pollination and fruiting are affected for example. The problem is not just water and fish kills. “
Communities cry out for help from the authorities in Takana
In the statement, the indigenous authorities state that they sought different environmental entities to clarify the facts. But according to the letter, they had the response that the entity that could carry out this work was the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (Aunap), who had not yet visited the place.
According to some researchers, this damage was not only against fish, but against insects, shrimp, and aquatic crabs that live there, and this action also has impacts on the surrounding forests, which is why they consider that Corpoamazonia as a protective entity of natural resources should also act this according to Law 99 of 1993 and Decree 3570 of 2011.
What both indigenous authorities and researchers are asking for is that there be a greater coordination between entities to deal with these types of events in a timely manner.
Here is the complaint of the indigenous communities:
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