Abstract
Hydroelectric dams often have significant impacts on freshwater fisheries. Major impacts are known to be driven by changes in river hydrology and fish ecology, but the role of governance arrangements in mitigating or exacerbating fisheries impacts from hydropower development is less understood. This study presents an analysis of stakeholder perceptions about the effects of hydroelectric dam implementation on fisheries governance arrangements in the Madeira River basin, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 stakeholders representing the fishers and fish traders, government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Fishers, non-governmental, and private sector agents perceived hydropower development to be the strongest factor driving fisheries decline or change over the past 10 years, while government staff perceived overfishing to be an equally or even more important factor. Most stakeholders affirmed that fisheries governance arrangements have weakened in the face of hydropower development, and that these arrangements have been insufficient to effectively mitigate or compensate for negative impacts on fisheries. Fishers, non-governmental and private sector agents saw lack of opportunities to participate in fisheries governance as a major contributing factor, while government staff emphasized lack of qualified personnel, lack of trust between agencies, and control over the decision-making process held by hydropower companies. Perspectives on other implications of governance arrangements were shared across stakeholder groups. These included increased conflicts; lack of interaction and coordination between agencies; the fragility of fishers’ social organization; lack of trust and reciprocity between organizations; and power imbalances between stakeholders. The results show that hydropower development impairs and changes relationships between diverse players involved in fisheries governance, which can exacerbate existing weaknesses and negatively affect fishery sustainability. Drawing from the perspectives and comments of the various stakeholders who participated in the study, we provide recommendations to improve freshwater fisheries governance in the Madeira River basin and in the Brazilian Amazon.
Highlights
Hydropower development is an electric energy supply strategy adopted by many Asian, Latin American, and African countries (Soares-Filho et al, 2006)
The current study focuses on the region of direct and indirect influence of both dams in the municipalities of Guajará Mirim, Nova Mamoré, and Porto Velho (Rondonia State, Brazilian Amazon)
Most stakeholders stated that fisheries-related institutional arrangements had weakened in the face of hydropower development and that the arrangements had been insufficient to effectively mitigate or compensate for fisheries impacts
Summary
Hydropower development is an electric energy supply strategy adopted by many Asian, Latin American, and African countries (Soares-Filho et al, 2006). Government leaders have pursued the implementation of these projects to meet their countries’ growing electricity demand They often highlight positive aspects of hydropower, including energy security, low carbon emissions, increased employment, and economic development (Prado et al, 2016; MME/EPE, 2017). Construction of large hydroelectric projects triggers significant modifications in the physical-chemical dynamics of aquatic ecosystems and in the composition and abundance of the local ichthyofauna (Castello and Macedo, 2016; Winemiller et al, 2016) These changes in turn lead to significant socioeconomic impacts for riverine communities, where fishing represents an important source of animal protein and income (Agostinho et al, 1997; Fearnside, 2014; Doria et al, 2018b). It is essential to consider both the social and ecological dimensions of the fisheries system when assessing or planning to identify and mitigate the impact of dam projects (Lorenzen et al, 2007)
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