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This study uses Brazil's export data for fish byproducts as a proxy for understanding trends in maw (swim bladder) trade on the Amazon coast. National exports totaled 4657.9 metric tons (t) and USD 163,476,733 from 2012 to 2020, with 21 countries or territories listed as importers and China accounting for 97% of the total volume. Annual export volumes increased from 153.2 t in 2012 to 733.4 t in 2020. Amazon states represented 95.6% of the total export volumes, which increased from 127 t in 2012 to 637 t in 2020, an increase of 398%. Maws are the main fish byproduct exploited in this region. They are considerably more expensive than flesh per unit weight of all 10 species (Sciaenidae and Ariidae) traded, with mean ex-vessel prices varying from 2 to 115 times more than the flesh. The volume of fish that is required to be harvested to produce 1 kg maw (fish:maw ratio) varies between 20 and 70 kg. The maw trade includes threatened species, and most fisheries remain under open access. Given that maw demands are rising, with new species entering the market, regulation measures should be implemented to protect vulnerable fishery resources and sustain the livelihoods of local communities. • Trends in Brazil's exports of fish byproducts during 2012–2020 were analyzed. • Annual export volumes increased from 153.2 t in 2012 to 733.4 t in 2020. • China account for 97% of total volumes of fish byproducts exported by Brazil. • Amazon states represented 95% of export volumes, and fish maw is the main product. • The maw trade includes threatened species, and most fisheries are unmanaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the characteristics of small-scale fisheries in the state of Amapá (Brazilian Amazon coast), including the production processes, the structure and operation of the value chain, and the drivers of fish trade and resource exploitation. Interviews were held with fishers, boat owners, the presidents of fishers' organizations, and processing companies officials. The interviewees were mostly men, with a mean age between 37 and 43 years old, low education and income, and an average of 20–24 years of fishing experience. Fishing is the primary source of income and food for most of the respondents. Multispecies fisheries are conducted with small boats (6–12 m in length), using gillnets and longlines. The value chain comprises fishers, middlemen, and processing and export companies. This chain supplies the domestic market with fish meat, and swim bladder is exported. The dynamics of the fishing sector reflects the interaction between local, national and international drivers. Local drivers are related to the fishers' socioeconomic vulnerability, the lack of post-harvest infrastructure, and the distance between fishers and final consumers. A high reliance on declining fish stocks, poor fishery management, and increasing competition with outside fishers, heightens the vulnerability of local fishers. Nationally, the trade is driven by growing fish consumption, and the demand for swim bladder drives international trade. Overcoming the challenges and limitations facing the fishing sector requires multi-scale interventions; increased governmental, non-governmental, and private-sector support; and joint actions between stakeholders. Sustainable fish trade and food security require effective resource management, and co-management is recommended. Image 1 • Amazon fishers are highly dependent on small-scale fishery for food and income. • Catches occur in the Brazil-French Guiana border, and inside coastal No-Take Zones. • Value chain actors include fishers, middlemen, processing and export companies. • Small-scale fishery supplies domestic and global markets through intermediaries. • Fisheries dynamic reflects the interaction of local, national and international drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]