A comunidade pesqueira de São Gonçalo do Amarante (Ceará) e sua relação com o Terminal Portuário do Pecém

Abstract

The construction of the Pecém Harbor Complex, in Ceará State, was due to the increase in cargo handling at the Mucuripe Habor, at Fortaleza, and to the incentives for the creation of new terminals and new methods of logistics and cargo flow. This study aimed to identify the profile of fishermen and major socio-economic and environmental conflicts arising from the port terminal facility as well as its effects on the fishing community Pecém. For its development, one must consider the effects of a sharp economic growth on the community, especially the impacts arising from that enterprise on such traditional activities as fishing and tourism. Amongst the outocome of these anthropic impacts, are outstanding the decreases in the production of fish on account of their interference on the system marking the fishing ground through terrestrial signs, and in the catch of shrimp due to dredging the harbor basin in order to increase its depth for large vessels’ operations. There has also been evident the migration of manpower that had been working almost exclusively in the artisanal fishery because of higher salary levels provided by the companies.