Arapaima Fishing, Amazon River, Brazil

Importance to humans
The arapaima is hunted and utilized in many ways by local human populations. Arapaima are harpooned or caught in large nets, and the meat is said to be delicious. Since the arapaima needs to swim up to breathe air, traditional arapaima fishers often catch them by first harpooning them and then clubbing them dead. One individual can yield as much as 70 kg of meat.
The arapaima has also been introduced for fishing in Thailand and Malaysia. Fishing for this species in Thailand can be done in several lakes, where one often sees arapaima over 150 kg landed and then released.
Special care is needed when dealing with these fish as, since they are large, they can be hard to handle. With catch and release after the fish is landed, it must be held for 5 minutes until it takes a breath. The fish has a large blood vessel running down its spine and lifting the fish clear of the water for trophy shots can rupture this vessel causing death. Arapaimas are also known to leap out of the water if they feel constrained by their environment or harassed.