2003 CLAS Summer Research Report Renata Andrade Energy and Resources Group "Environmental History of the Lower Sao Francisco River"

 

Purpose and Goals of traveling

My trip was undertaken to give continuity to the last three years dissertation field research on the environmental history of the lower Sao Francisco river, studying how the stories of upstream water resources development  (particularly hydroelectricity, irrigation and aquaculture) relates to the disappearance of large migratory fish and declining downstream small-scale artisanal fisheries in the lower São Francisco river, near Penedo town, Alagoas state, NE Brazil.

The Sao Francisco river from the Rocheda Point - Penedo, AL

The purpose of traveling to Recife city in Pernambuco state, Maceio city and Penedo town in Alagoas state, and Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil, was to conduct the last field research study addressing the following question: how have conflicts in water claims on the SFR evolved over time and how have those claims related  to the stories of water resources development, river degradation and fish decline? 

To be able to answer this question, I had previously visited my site, undertaken preliminary research, and then designed a spring and another summer of field research. Since 2001, I have been contacting specific stakeholders for interviews and searching for general and specific historical documents, participating in conferences and closed meetings where government agencies implementing water and fisheries related policies (CODEVASF, ANA, CHESF), academic research groups and environmental consultants (as University of Alagoas, University of São Paulo and Campinas and Fundação Joaquim Nabuco), non-governmental organizations working with artisanal fishermen (as Church organizations and environment NGOs), and artisanal fisherfolks individuals and organization (in Penedo, Piacabucu etc) were engaged in discussing fish and river issues.  

 

A sample banner for the Revitalization campaign

I selected key individuals, leaders and decision makers, to conduct semi-structured interviews, each lasting between one to three hours. I was the only person administering all interviews during 2003 spring and summer field research. In   summer 2001 (see CLAS 2001 summer grants) I undertook a preliminary snowball process with the main water resources stakeholders involved with the São Francisco River, using semi-structured interviews. I also collected archive documents. Then in 2002, Gisele Henriques (see CLAS 2002 summer grants) assisted me to interview 30 individuals from four social groups (indigenous people, fishermen, church and two NGOs) applying the questionnaire I designed to scan the social groups involved within two important case studies I am using in my dissertation: the revitalization of the São Francisco River and the water transfer projects.  

Back in August 2001, I also met with presidents of two important Fishermen Colonies at the São Francisco River, Sr. Toinho from Penedo and Sr. Pedro from Remanso, at the Forum of Defense of the São Francisco River, during a meeting in Salvador city, Brazil. At that time, I was not sure which group I would be studying more specifically in my final project, but I kept the two fishermen aware I would probably contact them in the future, as I had a great interest in understanding how environmental changes would affect those riverine people. During the summer 2002, I contacted those two fishermen again by phone (I was in the US) and they reccomended me to speak with other fishermen, initiating the second snowball. My field assistant at the time, Gisele Henriques was already in Brazil and was able to contact and interview ten more fishermen in Penedo and Remanso overall.

From these ten fishermen, a third snowball occurred when I ended up going to two meetings in NE Brazil, March-April 2003:

CPP - pastoral Conseil of fishermen - Seminar in Olinda 2003

1. Organized by the Pastoral Fisherman Conseil (CPP), I went to the National Artisanal Fishermen Seminar in Olinda, Pernambuco State, Brazil, invited by the Penedo Fishermen Colony (Alfredo "Piau") and by the Alagoas Artisanal  Fishermen Federation (Sr. Toinho, currently the vice president of the Federation). More than 250 participants attended this meeting, including numerous artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen leaders from Northeastern and Northern States of Brazil. Three working groups discussed three main themes during this meeting: social rights, management of artisanal fisheries and environmental problems. During this event, I had the opportunity to participate and contribute to the environmental problems group, and talk about my research to almost 50 participants, including fishermen, women and presidents of Fishermen Colony from North and Northeast Brazil, who showed interest in my research.

Sr. Toinho speaking to the audience and the minister of Fisheries, Jose Fristch - Seminar in Olinda 2003

2. Organized by the Association of Fisherwomen from Penedo, and invited by Angelucia, the lead woman, I went to the bi-weekly fisherwomen meeting held in a small school in the fishermen's neighborhood in Penedo. There were 12 fisherwomen (age varying from 24 to 65 years old) discussing the possibilities of improving their organization, incrementing their family income, regulating their fisher licenses and obtaining social security benefits. While their children were playing around the room, Angelucia introduced me to the fisherwomen group as a doctoral researcher interested in studying the relationships between river degradation, fish decline, fishing technologies and river development. The women showed interest and asked me questions about my research, and at the end some volunteered to be interviewed.

Fisherwoman and her daughter

Since 2001, I have identified and contacted fishermen as the focus for my mini-ethonographic study, trying to answer the following questions: 1. Which are the stories the fisherfolk tell about changes in the fishery over the last 30 years and how do their stories conflict with stories from other social groups? (water resources and fisheries developers' stories and ecologist's stories)   2. How do they perceive what has driven these changes? (economic changes, ecological changes, and other factors); and  3. How are fishing communities coping with these changes? (different responses to declines in fish stocks, such as organizing, partnering with outside groups, out-migration, women labor and turning to other livelihoods).

Fisherwomen association in Penedo

Stemming from two last meetings, I was able to make the last snowball, contact and choose a representative group of approximately 30 fishermen and fisherwomen from Penedo, one from Piacabuçu town, and another one from the Marituba do Peixe village. My wish to make a comparative study between Remanso and Penedo cities was prevented by logistical problems involving distance (the first town was upstream the large dam of Sobradinho almost 1500km away from the later).  Moreover, my focus on the social and environmental changes in the Lower San Francisco River in the last 30 years is logically centered in the municipality of Penedo, where there is a large and concentrated artisanal fisher community striving for environmental, cultural and economic survival. The interview process has involved developing the trust of the older fishermen in Penedo, but luckily, after explaining my research during some visits to their homes, some fisherfolk (varying in age from 30 to 78 years old) gave me written consent to be interviewed during this summer fieldwork.

Description of Activities

I spent about half of my time visiting the São Francisco river estuary and stayed on the São Francisco riverbank at the Bairro Vermelho, the oldest neighborhood of Penedo town, where I collected most of my fishermen stories and undertook participant observation and semi-strucured interviews.  During my bus and boat travels along the São Francisco river estuary and inland, I had the chance to talk to local people, from fisherman's wives, craftsmen, coconut harvesters, teachers, to small-scale farmers and peasants, each of which helped to frame the local historical context to the structure of the fisheries market and the cooperative system. This context helped me to comprehend the status of the fish stocks in the region, the fish species harvested, local ideas about the causes of fish declines, attitudes towards aquaculture development, etc.  While I stayed in Penedo, I also talked to the staff from the municipal environment and planning department, and visited several local libraries.

Sao Pedro island on the Sao Francisco river and fisherman 

The other half of my time I spent in the cities of Maceio, Recife, Olinda and Brasilia collecting key historical documents and reports, and interviewing key individuals working in the development agencies, university professors and NGO professionals working in the region, public ministry, church and research centers. I worked out of the office of Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, a Federal think tank located in Recife, and also met with and interviewed one researcher. I undertook srchival research and interviewed as well three staff members from the Electric Energy Company of the São Francisco River, CHESF.  In Maceio, I interviewed professors involved in the region and undertook archival research from a Environment and Development program at the Federal University of Alagoas, PRODEMA. In Brasilia, I worked out of the Development Company of the São Francisco valley, CODEVASF, and undertook archival research and interviewed 2 directors and 2 technical staff.

Ponta verde beach in Maceio, fish fences during lower tides

Relationship of Field Research to Degree Goals

This research was intended to be the last field trip for my PhD dissertation research in environmental history at the Energy and Resources Group.

Archival research at the Casa de Penedo