There has been growing concern that the Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis, locally known as the "boto"), a freshwater cetacean species, is severely threatened by anthropogenic activities. Studies have shown a steady population decline over the past two decades in a protected reserve in the Brazilian Amazon, but research is still lacking pertaining to key economic, institutional, cultural, and spatiotemporal factors exacerbating boto vulnerability.Focusing on artisanal fishing and boto interaction platform (BIP) tourism, this dissertation employs mixed methodology, including household surveys, in-depth key informant interviews, direct observation, and geospatial analytics to understand how artisanal fishing and BIP tourism impact boto vulnerability. Drawing on theories from political ecology, territoriality, animal geographies, and human-wildlife conflict, this dissertation: (1) evaluates the role of economic livelihoods in boto vulnerability; (2) assesses the disconnect between de jure policies regulating fishing and human-boto interactions and de facto practices of fishers and BIP operators; (3) evaluates the role of culture in boto vulnerability; and (4) assesses the spatial and temporal territorialities of botos, fishers, and tourism operators.Results suggest that perceptions of the boto differ considerably between fishers and tourism operators. In the context of fishing, botos were described as a challenge to overcome on a daily basis, and conflict with botos over resources was a common theme in interviews. BIP operators, on the other hand, described conflict in the context of intra-boto aggression, problems with tourists, and fisher animosity toward botos. They also acknowledged potential ecological impacts resulting from BIP tourism, including behavioral changes in botos, which was also reported by fishers. However, under ideal circumstances, BIP tourism has the potential to encourage education and awareness of boto conservation. With regard to legislation, fishers often described problematic encounters with enforcement agents and grievances with fishing regulations; BIP operators occasionally complained about the informal BIP regulations in place at the time, but overall were supportive of these regulations.Although environmental legislation in Brazil is robust, findings show a disconnect between policies and practice, in large part because the two primary federal environmental enforcement agencies, IBAMA and ICMBio, are limited by the amount of financial and human resources available. There is also some confusion regarding jurisdiction and responsibility among them; this is particularly true for BIP tourism, which was not formally regulated at the time of this research. Moreover, among artisanal fishing communities, problems with a subsidy program called seguro defeso resulted in the lack of payment to fishers during a period of restricted fishing. These challenges, coupled with a lack of political will and possible government corruption, create disconnects between policy and practice.Significant spatial and temporal overlap exists among fishers, tourism operators, and botos. Seasonal variation in habitat use by the botos overlaps considerably with areas of human activity, though findings suggest that the high-water period is more conducive for conflict between humans and botos. Given that boto populations have been steadily declining over a period of 20 years, it is crucial that steps are taken to mitigate boto vulnerability. Understanding stakeholder perspectives and challenges, causes for legislative disconnect, and spatiotemporal hotspots for human-boto interactions are important steps toward boto conservation.
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