The REDD+ Matavén Project continues to advance its commitment to comprehensive sustainability and biodiversity conservation. In partnership with FUNINDES, the team achieved the first captive breeding of the fine gold-spotted pleco (Hypancistrus contradens), a significant scientific milestone that strengthens our work in sustainable ornamental aquaculture.
This achievement is part of our Ornamental Fish Captive Breeding Project, launched in July 2021 to support families from three Matavén Indigenous communities: Pueblo Nuevo Zama, La Urbana, and Pueblo Escondido. The initiative aims to foster sustainable economic alternatives that provide stable income, reduce pressure on aquatic ecosystems, and enable participation in responsible markets where species produced through captive breeding are prioritized to protect their natural habitats.
Captive breeding lowers extraction from rivers, safeguards endemic species of the Matavén Forest, prevents overexploitation, and creates economic opportunities that strengthen Indigenous autonomy, a core component of the conservation model implemented since 2013.
A Scientific Advance with Direct Impact in the Territory
The breeding process, led by Rubén Morales, Director of the Ornamental Fish Laboratory, demonstrates the value of combining technical research with the active participation of Indigenous communities. The birth of these first specimens shows the potential of sustainable aquaculture as a tool for both biodiversity conservation and community well-being.
This milestone reinforces REDD+ Matavén vision as an integral model that works across multiple dimensions of sustainability, from forest and biodiversity conservation to productive initiatives that build resilience and economic autonomy.
We remain committed to building a sustainable future for the territory!