“No rio e no mar, pescadores na luta”: Artisanal Fishing in the State of Bahia, Brazil. A Scenario of Contradictions and Resistance

Abstract

One of the themes that has gained prominence in recent decades is the struggle of traditional fishing communities for the recognition and enforcement of their rights. Another factor that has also driven this highlight is the way in which capital, through the State and/or private companies (national and international), has occupied and degraded the space of these communities at an increasing pace. The expulsion of families, the reduction of fishing areas and the contamination of waters, mangroves, and fish has been observed due to the expansion of the urban-industrial model in the coastal zones. In this article, we aim to characterize the development of artisanal fisheries in Bahia and, based on these data, to understand, on the one hand, the importance of the activity for the state and for the communities that develop it, and, on the other hand, the scenario of resistance and existing contradictions, mainly in the form of conflicts that involve fishing territories. Methodologically, we searched through statistical surveys, documentary, cartographic, and field research, and built a database that allowed us to identify, analyze, and spatialize, through thematic maps, the quantitative distribution of artisanal fishing in the state, its forms of organization, and areas of territorial disputes, among other aspects. These steps led us to understand the scenario of contradictions and resistances that involve such activity in the state.