"Fish Eat Brazilian Fisherman" (a Reuters News Service Story)

Manaus, Brazil

1)  Man-eating piranha fish devoured fisherman Zeca Vicente when he tumbled into the water during a battle with 300 farmers for possession of an Amazon jungle lake.

2)  Vicente, a leader of a group of 30 fishermen, was eaten alive in minutes by shoals of the ferocious fish lurking in Lake Januaca.

3)  He died when the farmers--packed in an armada of small boats--attacked the fishermen with hunting rifles, knives, and bows and arrows after they refused to leave.

4)  The farmers, who claimed the fishermen were depleting the lake's fish stocks, one of their main sources of food, boarded the fishing vessels and destroyed cold storage installations.

5)  Last to give way was Vicente, who tried to cut down the farmers' leader with a knife.  But the farmers shot him and he fell wounded into the water, and into the jaws of the piranhas.

6)  Fifteen persons have been charged with the attack which caused Vicente's death and the injury of several other fishermen.

7)  Lake Januaca, about four hours from this Amazon River town by launch, is famous for its pirarucu and tucunare fish which are regarded as table delicacies.