Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development

Through testimonies and beautiful images, the book The Amazonian Giant: Sustainable Management of Arapaima tells the story of fishing for one of the most emblematic and important species in Amazonia.  Through sustainable pirarucu production, fishing generated approximately 3 million reais in 2017 and involved more than 40 fishers from the Middle Solimões region. The book contains testimonies from fishers and technicians, describes characteristics of pirarucu management, and presents the results of management projects. It also gathers photos of management activities and shows the beauty of a species, which can grow up to almost three meters, weighing up to 200 kilos.

Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) is one of the largest freshwater fish on the planet. Its name comes from two indigenous terms pyre, "fish", and urucum, "red", due to the color of its tail. Pirarucu is a symbol of the Middle Solimões region and an important commercial product in Amazonas state, but this has not always been the case. Pirarucu experienced a period of intense exploitation during the second half of the 20th century, which caused a reduction of fish stocks in rivers and lakes of the Mamirauá and Amanã region, pushing the species to the brink of local extinction.