Santarém's Rivers: Fishing the World's Greatest River System
Santarém's position at the Amazon-Tapajós confluence makes it one of the world's great freshwater fishing centres — the diversity of Amazonian fish, the traditional fishing knowledge, and the cuisine built around the river's bounty define the city
- 1
Pirarucu: Giant of the Amazon
Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) — up to 3 meters long, 200 kg — is the Amazon's most prized fish and one of the world's largest freshwater fish; sustainable pirarucu fishing on managed lakes near Santarém is a conservation success story
- 2
Dourado Sports Fishing
Dourado (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) — the golden catfish of the Amazon, a powerful sport fish — wanders through Tapajós; the sport fishing for dourado in Santarém attracts Brazilian and international anglers from December to March
- 3
Fishing communities in Tapajós
The ribeirinho (river) communities along the Tapajós — who fish sustainably using traditional methods — have developed community-based fisheries management that controls pirarucus harvests and maintains fish populations
- 4
Amazon River Turtles
The giant South American river turtle (tartaruga-da-amazônia) – which nests on Tapajó's sandbanks – is managed by the Brazilian government; the turtle nesting beaches near Santarém are protected and the conservation program has stabilized populations
- 5
Traditional fishing methods
Santarém's fishing tradition includes fixed traps (matapi for shrimp), cast nets (tarrafa) and longline fishing for catfish; the traditional methods, refined over centuries, are more sustainable than industrial fishing and more productive for local communities
- 6
Fish in Santarém Cuisine
Santarém's restaurants serve the Amazon's fish diversity in traditional preparations — caldeirada de pirarucu (fish stew), tucunaré grelhado (grilled peacock bass) and frito de jaraqui (fried sardine-like fish) are the city's culinary highlights