Entre lendas e saberes: o conhecimento popular e a memória coletiva na conservação dos ecossistemas costeiros de Icapuí (CE)

Abstract

The municipality of Icapuí, located on the eastern coast of the state of Ceará, stands out for the sociocultural richness of its communities, which develop sustainable subsistence practices such as artisanal fishing and shellfish gathering. These practices express symbolic, cultural, and historical forms of interaction with nature, based on knowledge transmitted primarily through oral tradition and deeply rooted in collective memory. In this context, this study aimed to understand how oral narratives shared by communities in Icapuí express knowledge about local biodiversity and contribute to the conservation of coastal ecosystems. The research adopted a qualitative approach, including participant observation, active participation in community activities, and semi-structured interviews with shellfish gatherers from different communities within the municipality. The data, consisting of oral accounts and field diary records, were analyzed using Discursive Textual Analysis. The results reveal a deep relationship between fishing communities and the coastal environment, built through daily interaction with the sea, the beach, and the mangrove. The narratives highlight detailed perceptions of environmental changes over time, mainly associated with the expansion of shrimp farming, the construction of saltworks, and advancing urbanization. In addition, the accounts show that the knowledge held by shellfish gatherers is shaped by intergenerational memories, in which family and community experiences intertwine with the history of the territory. The data also enabled the documentation of popular names given to marine and coastal species, highlighting the linguistic and cultural richness of the municipality. At the same time, orally transmitted legends and stories emerge as important ways of explaining natural phenomena, assigning symbolic meanings to environments, and reinforcing values of respect and care for nature. Thus, the study demonstrates that the traditional knowledge of Icapuí constitutes legitimate ecological knowledge and an ally of conservation, reinforcing the need to overcome the hierarchy between scientific and popular knowledge and to recognize the protagonism of traditional communities. As a form of returning the results to the community, the collected narratives will support the development of pedagogical material that connects the study of coastal ecosystems with the narratives shared within them.