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.Similar Posts:

• Catching the mullet fish
• O vigia do mar, the watchman of the sea

fotos Ida Duclós

The Southern Region of Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil. It includes the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Southern Brazil has subtropical or temperate climate, it is different from the main cities such as Rio or the Amazonas area. Santa Catarina is a small Brazilian state, with little more than 6 million residents. The geographic diversity of the state includes white sand beaches, tropical forests and snowy mountains. The state has a mixed and rich cultural inheritance: Azorean immigrants fishermen, Italian immigrants farmers, German immigrants industrialists.

The State capital city is Florianópolis, a residential option for those who seek a good quality of life and a relaxed pace of living. Cited as one of cities with the highest standards of living in Brazil, Florianópolis is a unique city – half of it is located on the mainland and the other half on Santa Catarina Island, connected by a suspended bridge. Santa Catarina Island have 523 Km2 of green hills, lagoons and 42 beaches. About 45 percent of Santa Catarina Island lies in a nature preservation area. Florianópolis is modern and rustic at the same time. One of the rare destinations in the world where the new and the old coexist harmoniously.

Founded in 1723, the city has a lot of reminders about its past under Portuguese (Azorean) colonization, which is evident in old villages, fortresses, churches and museums. Along the coast, a series of fortresses built to withstand invasions by the Spanish and the Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries, are a relic from ancient times. Amongst them are the Fortress of Santa Cruz on the Island of Anhatomirim, the Fortress of São José da Ponta Grossa between the beaches of Daniela and Jurerê, listed as a Historical Monument, and Santo Antônio, on the Island of Ratones Grande.

Florianópolis is composed of many fishing communities where catching fish and harvesting seafood are important activities in their lifes. The tradition has been cultivated by Portuguese Azorean families that settled in the island in the 18th century. Autumn is the opening season for catching the mullet, a popular fish present in many dishes of the local cuisine. The mullet is usually caught with long nets pulled by a group of people. The nets are placed close to the beach where observers look for a shoal. The fishing in the island is mostly artisan.

From a clifftop a man stands alone and ever alert, scanning the sea for a school of mullet fish. Even in the dark he is able to spot the fish and rises the alarm when everyone is asleep, prompting other fishermen into action. He is known as “vigia do mar”, the watchman of the sea.

“The reality of the fisherman is the sudden change… their salvation is to have the support of one of the most prepared amongst their peers, the one who lives on the top of the hill, alone and on awake. He is the watchman of the sea. He sees school of fish in the dark and gives the alarm when everyone is asleep.”  Adapted from the book “Refúgio do Príncipe”,  by Nei Duclós

Similar Posts:

• O vigia do mar, the watchman of the sea
• Artisanal fishermen
• O resgate de projeto pioneiro
• A Ilha através do tempo (Choris, 1815)
• A Ilha através do tempo (ANSON, 1740)