People of the Tides

Gente da Maré

This project promoted equity and citizenship through the development of sustainably managed coastal resources in traditional communities of the northeast coast of Brazil – some of the most disadvantaged in the country.

In 2015, Gente de Maré was awarded second place for a Social Technology in the category of Women at the Premio Banco de Technologia Social 2015 is Brasil. 

Coastal communities of northeastern Brazil are some of the most disadvantaged in the country. The lower social classes in these areas have traditionally relied on artisan fisheries of coastal marine resources, including fish, shellfish, and algae. Fishing of bivalve mollusks is an important economic activity in many coastal communities of northeastern Brazil. However, decades of uncontrolled and unplanned collection has exhausted natural stocks. In addition, pollution from urban development is seriously contaminating remaining clam beds – resulting in serious environmental and socio-economic consequences. 

WFT and our partners, the Center for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, SEAP – Brazil, and a variety of others, initiated the “People of the Tides” project through CIDA’s Brazil-Canada Knowledge Exchange for Equity Promotion (KEEP). This project, within the KEEP framework, promoted equity and citizenship through the development of sustainably managed coastal resources in traditional communities of the northeast coast of Brazil.

The project actions were based on six key strategies aimed at improving the living conditions and income of fisherwomen in Northeastern Brazil:

(1) strengthening the role of community leaders;

(2) strengthening of institutional coordination of shellfish management and aquaculture;

(3) community exchanges;

(4) training of persons working for the extension activities via courses and workshops;

(5) development of technology for shellfish cultivation and

(6) studies on population ecology and fisheries management of bivalves. 

The Gente de Maré project promoted equity and citizenship through the development of sustainably managed coastal resources in traditional communities of the northeast coast of Brazil – some of the most disadvantaged in the country. The project was developed to address the following issues related to shellfish management in Northeastern Brazil: gender equality, health at work, natural resource management, cultivation and seed production, processing and health of seafood, and value chains and arrangements production. More than 1,300 women from Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, Pernambuca, and Bahia were involved in this project. 

OUR PARTNERS

The Special Secretary for Aquaculture and Fisheries of the Presidency of the Republic

Marine Mollusk Laboratory

Federal University of Catarina

Agricultural Research and Extension Company of Santa Catarina

Sustainable Mariculture Laboratory

Rural Federal University of Pernambuco

Bahia Pesca, Institute of Biology

Federal University of Bahia