Inclusão digital: um estudo nas colônias de pescadores artesanais da região metropolitana de Fortaleza

Abstract

This study investigates the barriers, limitations and needs related to digital inclusion among small-scale fishers in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza (RMF), Ceará, Brazil. Artisanal fishing is an activity of great economic, social, and cultural relevance for the country, especially for Ceará, which leads national fish exports. Despite this importance, fishers face significant challenges in accessing digital technologies, which compromises their participation in public policies such as the National Plan for Small-Scale Fisheries (PNPA), the Peoples of Small-Scale Fisheries Program, and the National Program for Fishing Vessel Regularization (PROPESC). The main objective of this research is to identify the factors that limit digital inclusion among these workers, focusing on three aspects: technological requirements imposed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA), the socioeconomic profile of fishers, and their level of digital skills. A mixed-method approach was adopted, applying semi-structured questionnaires to 362 fishers from the five municipalities with the highest number of registered professionals in the RMF: Fortaleza, Trairi, Cascavel, Aquiraz, and Chorozinho. Results indicate low levels of schooling and digital literacy, with a predominance of incomplete primary education and absence of higher education. Most fishers lack basic computer skills but show greater familiarity with smartphones and messaging apps such as WhatsApp, highlighting the potential of mobile devices as tools for digital inclusion. The study also reveals fishers’ dependence on local associations and intermediaries for interactions with the MPA, creating risks of digital insecurity and limiting autonomy. Findings underscore the need for integrated public policies that combine literacy, technological training, and adaptation of government systems to mobile platforms, promoting functional, critical, and emancipatory digital inclusion. Digital inclusion for RMF fishers is essential to ensure citizenship, access to rights, and sustainable strengthening of artisanal fishing. The study proposes territorialized strategies sensitive to the sociocultural specificities of these communities to overcome digital exclusion and promote social justice.