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Free keywords:
rivers; lakes; environment; protection
Abstract:
Over long geological time periods, South America offered a large variety of waterbodies and habitats to
aquatic organisms. Large river systems and streams of differentwater quality, different types ofwetlands and
high-altitude lakes favoured the development of a species-rich fish fauna with a large variety of adaptations.
Therefore, South America is today a centre of megadiversity of fishes. In large areas, aquatic habitat health
is still intact but environmental degradation is accelerating with negative impacts on the fish fauna. Inland
fisheries are of great importance for protein supply of the local population, but stocks are already depleted
in some areas. Fish culture is becoming increasingly important to supplement decreasing catches but cannot
prevent loss of biodiversity. Lack of knowledge about fishes and their habitats, inefficient management of
aquatic resources, large-scale uncoordinated modification of catchment areas, and the low priority given by
the governments to fisheries and the protection of aquatic and wetland systems are reasons for decreasing
fish stocks, deterioration of aquatic habitat health, and decreasing species numbers. A summary of the status
of fish biodiversity, fishery, fish culture and habitat health in major South American rivers systems, the
Altiplano and Patagonia is provided and the possibilities for sustainable management of aquatic resources
and the protection of fish biodiversity are discussed.
