A controlled fishing system in the Brazilian Amazon Basin is helping to save the endangered pirarucú fish. Methods to limit illegal fishing have led to large increases in the pirarucú population.
CARAUARI, Brazil Even in the most biodiverse rainforest of the world, the pirarucu, also known as arapaima, stands out.
First, there is its mammoth size: It can weigh up to 200 kilos (440 pounds), by far the largest of 2,300 known fish species in the Amazon. It is found primarily in floodplain