Pesca artesanal entre mudanças socioambientais: estudo de caso na APA Bonfim-Guaraíra/RN-Brasil

Artisanal fishing is one of the important economic activities of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), becoming the main form of survival and income for many families. The southern coast of RN has strong fishing tradition, both in exploitation of fish as in the collection of mollusks on the banks of Guaraíra Lagoon (APA Bonfim-Guaraíra). In recent years, fishing communities have become more vulnerable to outside influences, since the socio-economic and environmental changes are exposed. These changes require adjustments to the fishermen to different environmental conditions, as the social and natural systems are driven by reorganization and upgrading processes. The living conditions in fishing communities are objective and necessary in different ways, according to a selection that is cultural, so adaptable. This study has the general objective to analyze the main environmental changes in fishing communities, based on the understanding of fishermen and mollusk fisherwomen about this problem. The specific objectives searched to: describe the socioeconomic profile, prospects and difficulties of fishermen and mollusk fisherwomen; investigate the major social and environmental changes in the fishing communities of Patané and Camocim (Arez/RN). The methodology was qualitative-quantitative with the techniques of observation in the field and open and semistructured interviews applied to representatives of Cologne fishing, fishermen and mollusk fisherwomen. Between the months of January to July 2014 were applied semistructured interviews with 41 interlocutors in Patané and 23 of Camocim; totaling 64 people. The results indicated that the interlocutors are aged 40 to 60 years; have only completed elementary school level; are married and have children; survive on less than a minimum wage income and they are not receiving employment insurance. The case study also revealed that the socioeconomic and environmental problems reflected in changes in reproduction, organization and social division of labor, which generates adaptive changes of families to external influences, resulting directly from other economic activities and market pressure and indirectly from tourism. Therefore, adaptations to changes scenario presented as favorable to economic aspects and unfavorable to the social and environmental aspects. In short, the fishery develops on technical, bureaucratic and financial obstacles, in the everyday needs of men and women is the determining factor in willingness to continue exercising fishing and shell fishing on Guaraíra Lagoon, space representing relations social, practices and customs transmitted in the course of local history through social memory of the oldest to the youngest.