In the first months of the year, the production of river fishing increases in Colombia thanks to the rise, essential for the economy and gastronomy of the country.
According to a study published by the Humboldt Institute, in Colombia there are around 1,435 native species of fish that inhabit the country’s rivers. This figure, the study continues, “represents approximately 5% of all marine and freshwater species recognized globally today, and approximately 29% of the freshwater fish that inhabit continental waters from the southern limit of Mexico. to Chile and Argentina.
Santiago Isaza, owner of the Pesqueira restaurant, explains that to talk regarding freshwater fish, it is necessary to divide the country into basins. Among the most important are the Magdalena-Cauca, the Orinoquía, the Sinú, the Amazon and the Atrato. To these are added sea fish: Pacific and Caribbean. When talking regarding production, the territory that produces the most is the Pacific Ocean, followed by the Magdalena Basin and, later, by the Caribbean Sea. “This is proof of the importance that the Magdalena, its tributaries and the other bodies of water that are around it have for the country from the economy and food,” adds Isaza.
According to a publication by the Humboldt Institute, the University of Antioquia and Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) there are 233 species of freshwater fish in the basin, of which 158 are endemic to this territory.
However, the basin is already under threat. “For example, in the rise (which is when migratory fish come up from the sea looking for colder waters) the number of animals has decreased considerably and this threatens artisanal fishing.” According to the Humboldt Institute, deforestation, transformation and degradation of ecosystems, water pollution and overfishing put more than 100 unique fish in this area of the country at high risk. Santiago also adds that many fishermen do not respect the sizes and take animals out of the water that have not yet reached reproductive age. This has meant that the striped catfish, a basic fish in the diet of the banks of the river and nearby cities, is already listed as critically endangered.
Hydrographic basins of Colombia
During the rising months, which coincide with Lent, more than half of the annual production of the Magdalena basin is generated: around 30,000 tons of fish that are essential for the economy of the riverside towns and for the diet of many Colombians.
Other freshwater fish
Tilapia or mojarra and trout are two well-known freshwater species among Colombians. The first is native to Africa and the second to North America. Both are produced in captivity and constitute an important part of the Colombian diet. “We should consume much more trout, because it is one of the fish that produces the least carbon footprint, since it is raised in areas close to cities. In the case of Medellín, in the east and southwest”, explains Santiago Isaza.
Earthy flavor?
One of the most marked characteristics of river fish is its earthy flavor. This is partly due to the fact that they are benthic species, that is, they filter the river bed, and that flavor comes from there. However, this also depends on the time of year in which they are fished, because in winter, as there is a lot of water, this taste is not marked. Also, farmed fish that eat care do not have this characteristic flavor.
Some species of the Magdalena
Among the best known and which, in addition, are the main species that trigger the rise are: the herring, the striped or pintadillo catfish, the tilefish, the bocachico, the capable, the golden or milled, the grumpy or eater, the nicuro or barbul, the vizcaína, the mother bocachico or pincho, among others.
