Collaborating for Conservation

Project Piaba is a research organization dedicated to preserving the vibrant Rio Negro and its fisheries in South America’s Amazon Basin. Since 1991 we have conducted extensive research on the sustainable home aquarium fish trade, exploring the fascinating array of unique species it encompasses. Our collaborative efforts with global partners aim to protect fisheries from market pressures, ensuring their viability and safeguarding of critical habitats.

The findings of Project Piaba have shown that these aquarium fisheries provide the basis of livelihoods for rural Amazonians and provide significant cash income to the region; resulting in poverty alleviation. Communities living in the forest of the Rio Negro region involved in the home aquarium fishery are motivated to protect the ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial. Every fish purchased by a hobbyist directly supports these rural villagers who, in turn, can continue relying on their sustainable practices and thus enabling conservation of the Rio Negro and its ecosystem.