DETERMINING THE PROVENANCE OF PIRARUCUS (ARAPAIMA SPP.) USING ISOTOPIC AND ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS TO DIFFERENTIATE WILD AND CULTURED SPECIMENS
Pirarucu, Fishing, Traceability
Despite the various control mechanisms for fishing activity, fish such as the Pirarucu (Arapaima spp.) are threatened and even extinct in some regions due to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. On the other hand, the rapid expansion of aquaculture has emerged as an alternative to harvesting wild pirarucus. Determining whether a fish or its derivative is captive-bred or wild-caught is important to ensure the monitoring of fishing activity and, consequently, ensure the conservation of aquatic biota. In this context, the tracking of commercial fish has emerged as an essential tool for identifying environmental violations involving the capture and marketing of fish from illegal operations. The project's main objective is to investigate the ability of isotopic analysis and multi-elemental determination by mass spectrometer to differentiate the production system of commercial pirarucu. Combining these two methods may provide a more accurate determination of the provenance of the fish. Together, the proposed techniques constitute forensic procedures with enormous potential to combat the illegal extraction of pirarucus and can be expanded to other fish threatened by illegal fishing and trade.