VALUE OF USE OF THE ICHTHYOFAUNA OF THE GATUN RIVER BY MEMBERS OF THE EMBERÁ QUERA COMMUNITY, COLÓN, PANAMA

Abstract

This is the first ethnozoological study conducted in the Emberá Querá Community, located in Gatun Lake, Limón, Panama Canal Watershed, with the objective of determining the communities of Osteichthyes fishes that have use value. An exploratory, field, crosssectional, non parametric methodological design was used; in situ observation and key informant interviews were the techniques used to compile the data. Three primary fish species were identified: Brycon chagrensis (Characidae), Astyanax aeneus (Characidae), Chaetostoma fischeri (Loricariidae); three secondary fish species of the family Cichlidae: Cichla ocellaris, Oreochromis niloticus, Vieja maculicauda and 5 species of peripheral fish: Ablennes hians (Belonidae), Caranx latus (Carangidae), Centropomus undecimalis (Centropomidae), Diapterus auratus (Gerreidae) and Megalops atlanticus (Megalopidae). Four categories of Ichthyofauna use were identified: food (83.68%), handicrafts (9.92%), bait (5.67%), and medicine (0.70%). Pipon shad, Tilapia, Sargassum, Chupa Piedra, Horse Mackerel and River Sardine are the fish with the highest use value, (IVU ̳ 0.93). The results achieved constitute a baseline for proposing conservation strategies that guarantee the sustainable use of these natural resources.