Fotos e texto Ida Duclós
Mullets (Family Mugilidae) are a traditional fishing resource in the south and Southeast regions of Brazil. It is caught by many different fishing methods, especially by artisanal fishermen. In recent years it has also become an important target species for the industrial fleet. Catches occur mainly in the winter, during the reproductive migration, along the coast, from the estuary of the Patos Lagoon – Rio Grande do Sul state - Rio de Janeiro. It is during this migration that occurs most of the fisheries. The fisheries production is highly variable from year to year because dependent on environmental conditions. Industry’s fishing methods cause an abundance reduction of this species and damages to the fisheries in the future.
On the Santa Catarina Isle , the boats used for fishing are known as “canoe embroidered edge” (canoa de borda bordada) and “high or false edge”. This technique of construction has been learned with the natives, ancients inhabitants of the region. The immigrants portugueses learned how to use axes to build [monoxilas] trunk canoes, produced whith only a SINGLE woodblock. The wood used is garapuvú white or red cedar, pau-de-leaf, fig-white (Gameleira) and timbuíva (timbuva). In most cases the boats receive names that honor someone or their faith, such as “Go with God”, “Our Lady Conceição”, ” Holy Holy Mary” or “Holy Anne”, “breakwater” and others. The crew of these boats are composed of four or five men, the boss and three rowers. Two proeiros and a “chumbeireiro”. They are equipped with oars and a paddle.
Nets are just some of the artifacts used by the fisherman. They are some parts which allow the artisanal fishermen to develop the techniques passed from generation to generation. Crafts make this a way of living and still having a significant number of practitioners. The networks were formerly made with the fiber material of Gravatá, was later used the string, and currently use the nylon.
In the past, network was made with rope from fibers of “imbiraçu”, “imbira white” and the fiber of “peteira”, the above stuff was trimmed with white wood corks. Currently is used corks or floats of styrofoam.
The networks are dyed from with an ink extracted by a process of cooking or fermentation, removed from the shell of “comboatá”, “pau-ferro”, and cigar-mangue “Aroeira”, thus ensuring, greater conservation action against exhausting the salt. After dyed, the networks has a color purple. The networks have three hundred fathoms or more in length, by ten or more in height. One is dragged to the beach with two side handles which are, more or less, one hundred meters in length each. The mesh of the nets for mullet have three to four cm in width.
Unfortunately, History, culture, and nature are being destroyed by the land speculation and illegal construction. The community of fishermen was expelled from the beach. To survive, the fishermen have small jobs during the summer when the tourists arrive.
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