Porto da Pedra, Baixão do Guaí and Capanema Communities

The southeastern region of the Resex is home to the communities of Porto da Pedra, Guaí, and Capanema, all located within the district of Maragogipe. The communities in this region are similar to those in other regions of the Resex, where residents subsist primarily from small-scale extractive activities, such as artisanal fishing, and family farming. In the past, the region was occupied by large tobacco farms, employing large numbers of low wage workers who labored in slave-like conditions even after the abolition (1888). With the economic decline of the tobacco market in the 1930s, workers were left to fend for themselves in the vicinity of the Paraguaçu River and its tributaries.

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Rebeca

It was through Janete Barbosa, president of the Guaí Capanema Fishermen and Shellfish Gatherers Association, that we found our community researcher in the region. Rebeca Barbosa, daughter of a shellfish gatherer and active in various projects with NGOs in the region, reports below on the issues faced by shellfish gatherers in her area the Resex.

Artisanal fishing in the region is widely carried out in canoes, mostly by men, and in shellfish gathering from the sand for species like Mapé and Chumbinho. Mud shellfish such as Sururu and Oysters are also found.

Bucket of mapé in the sandy mangrove

The region has two associations of fishermen and shellfish gatherers that work with women: Guaipanema and Mariquilombo. The Guaipanema Association, a quilombola association of fishermen and farmers, is not only led by women but also involves agriculture, while the Mariquilombo Association is the result of the project “Marisqueiras com orgulho, quilombola para sempre” (Seafood gatherers with pride, quilombola forever), created by Enseada, an NGO that implements compensation measures for the Enseada Shipyard, an industrial complex built in the region in the 1980s that has since generated various socio-environmental impacts on the surrounding communities. However, according to some local leaders, the NGO is not committed to guaranteeing the quality of life and rights of shellfish gatherers and fishermen, but rather to maintaining the industrial complex, with the work carried out by the NGO described as “just a sham.” One often cited example of the NGO’s lack of commitment to the fishers is the offer of free courses unrelated to fishing, seeking to encourage fishermen and shellfish gatherers to abandon their traditional activities and fishing grounds, which have been deeply impacted by the shipyard's operations.

Ship landing at Enseada do Paraguaçu

In addition to the large area of mangroves that were removed in order to the construct the shipping complex, reducing fishing grounds and altering the local environment, the works brought about various social impacts with the large migration of low-skilled laborers, who remained in the region without employment after construction ended. These laborers also became fishermen and extractivists, generating a large increase in fishing activity in the region. In addition, ship traffic in the region has an impact on the water, due to oil spills and other chemical products, and also leads to the emergence of new species brought in on the hulls of ships, which interfere with the natural environmental balance of the region, even causing the extinction of other native species.

Bridge over the Paraguaçu River leading to the Enseada Shipyard

Learning

There are two ways to learn how to gather shellfish. The first, reported by most of the shellfish gatherers, is that of those who were born in the community and, from a very young age, around 6 or 7 years old, accompany their mothers to the tide, gradually observing and learning in practice from a very young age. Another routeis the path taken by women who were not born in the community and were already adults when they moved to the region, often due to marriage to men from the community. They begin to frequent the mangrove swamps, accompanying their friends, and learning the activity as a means of securing food for their families.

It is notable how the mangrove's role in ensuring food security is so present in the life stories of many women who left the region for larger urban centers in search of work and, when they became pregnant, returned to their communities to “raise their children.” These statements indicate the symbolic representation of food security offered by the mangrove to these women.

Women's Health

Work in the mangroves is multifaceted: on the one hand, it guarantees food, income, accessibility, and the pleasure of being in the mangroves with fellow women. On the other hand, the activity takes a heavy toll on their bodies, causing serious and irreversible long-term health impacts. Reports of thrombosis due to the strength required in the legs to walk in the mangroves, as well as spinal problems, hernias, and parrot beak, due to spending many hours in a squatting position, are very common issues raised by the shellfish gatherers interviewed. In addition, others mentioned skin diseases and fungal infections due to prolonged periods of exposure to humidity.

The semi-squatting position in which shellfish gatherers spend hours picking shellfish in the mud.

Problems with the fingers, such as arthritis, are also common due to repetitive strain and long hours spent processing shellfish.
Despite challenges, the women we spoke with do not consider leaving the mangrove while they can, as they love it and need it for their survival. Often they are not clear on what options they have to improve their health. When they are no longer physically able to go out with the tide, they continue to work processing, bagging, and selling shellfish collected by the other women who are still able to go out. Specialized medical care, with doctors who are socially prepared to understand the local reality and specific conditions of the community, know the typical efforts involved in such activity would help to educate the women on strategies to reduce the impact on their bodies.

Walking through the mangroves

Tides, memories, and mysteries

Going to the tide is a moment of pleasure, accompanied by friends and children. The women have fun, chat, and share adventures. Getting lost in the mangrove, getting stuck, and being pulled out by friends, crossing the river when it is rising and losing all the seafood caught, running from oxen... all of these are stories told with affection by a community that shares its love for the tide. Play, moments of venting, helping each other, and emotions are all part of this activity, which is not only economic but also involves traditional knowledge passed down by their ancestors, promoting sharing among women and the transmission of knowledge to their children, in addition to ensuring food security. Shellfish gathering, despite all the effort and impact on these women's health also generates deep feelingsof affection, joy, gratitude, and autonomy. But the mangrove demands respect and requires wisdom to navigate. In addition to knowing fishing techniques, it is also necessary to understand the mangroves mysteries and respect the its power.

Footprints in the sandy mangrove

Altar of Dona Antonia Cerqueira - Ritual interweaving

They say that the grandmother of the mangrove doesn't like people taking more than they need. Protector of the mangrove, she “azoneia” (makes dizzy) anyone who takes too much or who doesn't ask her blessing when entering the mangrove. Azonar means to become dizzy, to get lost in the mangrove, to be unable to find your way back home. Therefore, one must always bring tobacco to please the grandmother of the mangrove, ask her permission, and take only what is necessary, so as not to get lost. The grandmother of the mangrove is similar to Caipora, an entity from Guarani mythology, who also lives in the forest and protects it from those who would mistreat the animals or the trees and plants. She also likes tobacco as a gift. Nanã, an orixa from African-based religions, is the deity that takes care of the fertility of the world, which is why the mangrove is identified as a nursery of life. She likes flowers and fruits, and many women bring her gifts to ensure a good catch.

Various African derived and indigenous cultural influences mix in this region, with different names but a common meaning: it is necessary to respect the mangrove, take care of it, not destroy it, not exploit it excessively, and be grateful for the diversity of species and the food security it holds