Fourteen fish attacks on tourists were recorded between January and March of this year at the Praia da Figueira bathing resort, 20 km from the tourist city of Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul.
The data comes from the city's Tourism Secretary.
A team from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Bonito inspected the site to capture fish from the lagoon in order to discover if there are any exotic species illegally introduced into the region among them.
The search was for fish such as tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)and tambacu, hybrid species from the crossing of tambaqui with pacu (Piaractus Mesopotamicus).
Native to the Amazon region, these fish are known for their strong bite, which would explain the injuries found on bathers' fingers.
Some had to get stitches in the cut, and a girl lost the tip of one of her fingers.
Ibama's inspection lasted two days. Divers and equipment such as nets were used in various parts of the lagoon.
According to the superintendent of the agency in Mato Grosso do Sul, Joanice Lube Battilani, no captures were possible, and few fish were found.
They are pacus, fish also with a strong bite, and native to the region.
The owner of the venture, Rafael Braga, said that there are only between 100 and 150 fish on the site. All native: pacus, piraputangas (Brycon hilarii), and dourados (Salminus brasiliensis).
He explains that, before the attacks, they stayed closer to the small beach, surrounding the tourists who, despite warning signs, ended up feeding the fish.
After the accidents, a fence was installed in the lagoon, preventing the animals from approaching and forcing them to move away in search of food, which would explain the difficulty the inspectors had in locating the fish.
The lagoon, according to Braga, is 60,000 square meters long and reaches a depth of 8 meters in some places.
Ibama will prepare a report for the Public Prosecutor's Office suggesting the implementation of a monitoring program for the ichthyofauna in the Formoso River region, one of the main rivers in the area and close to the lagoon.
Despite the owner's denials, the agency does not rule out that the number of fish in the lagoon was much larger and that they were removed to another location before the inspection.
The biologist responsible for the inspection at the attraction, José Sabino, a visiting professor at the University of Campinas (Unicamp), explains that tambaquis and tambacus, if introduced into the rivers of Bonito, represent a major threat to the region's biodiversity.
The attacks, recorded only in the lagoon, if they start to happen in the rivers, would also cause great damage to tourism.
Internationally known, Bonito attracts around 300,000 visitors per year. Diving and snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters that form natural aquariums are among the most popular activities.
The Praia da Figueira bathing resort received more than 25,000 visitors in the last three months.
The attraction was even closed by the Mato Grosso do Sul Environment Institute (Imasul) in March of this year, after the attacks. But on April 10, the state agency released the partial use of the attraction's artificial lagoon after the installation of a containment fence to prevent "medium and large-sized" fish from accessing the area intended for swimming, the wet bar, and the zip line.