New decree promotes fish invasion in Amazon and Pantanal
Legalization of non-native species for aquaculture is accelerating in Brazil (Tófoli et al. 2016), directly contradicting federal laws Nos. 5197/67 and 9605/98, as well as international conservation agreements (e.g., Convention on Biological Diversity; Lima-Junior et al. 2018). A recent decree in the state of Mato Grosso (No. 1.190/2017) allows and encourages the rearing of non-native fish species in rivers and reservoirs of the state (such as in net cages in reservoirs). State law No. 10.669, approved in January 2018, subsequently dispensed of environmental licensing requirements for producers with less than 10,000 cubic meters of water in net cages and less than 5 hectares surface area of aquaculture ponds. Combined, these legislative actions seek to help the state become the national leader in aquaculture, primarily through production of tilapia. One sustainable alternative would be to invest in partnerships with aquaculture producers to develop new technologies for production of native species, of which Brazil is not lacking in options (Saint-Paul 2017). Non-native species should ideally only be used while these technologies are in development and preferably only in closed recirculating aquaculture systems (Martins et al. 2010) that minimize ecological impact and the risk of escapes.