Bolivian fisherman Guillermo Otta Parum, who has over 50 years of experience in the Amazon, tells the story of how the giant freshwater fish known as Arapaima gigas, or paiche, arrived and upset the natural equilibrium of the area.
The paiche, which can reach lengths of up to 4 meters and weights of over 200 kg, is a significant hazard to native fish species since it spreads its range by over 40 kilometers annually.Federico Moreno, the director of the Center for Aquatic Resources Research at Beni Autonomous University, emphasizes how the paiche is territorial in character, driving native species to migrate to more isolated and inhospitable bodies of water. The paiche fish farm in Peru is thought to have had a breach that allowed the fish to spread into Bolivian rivers, which is how the fish got its start in Bolivia.
