A mariscagem em pequena escala em uma Reserva Extrativista costeira no nordeste do Brasil: resiliência, conhecimento ecológico e protagonismo das mulheres

Abstract

This study characterizes the shellfish harvesting activity carried out by women from the Batoque Extractive Reserve (RESEX), a federal protected area located in the municipality of Aquiraz, highlighting local ecological knowledge, sociocultural dynamics, and the central role of shellfish gatherers in territorial management. The research adopted an ethnographic and participatory approach, including community workshops, social mapping, SWOT analysis, the GUT method, a seasonal calendar, and the application of a semi-structured questionnaire containing 56 questions. The results reveal that shellfish harvesting constitutes an ancestral practice marked by a strong sense of territorial belonging, expressed through the symbolic value of artisanal tools and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge. The work routine is characterized by the integration of harvesting, processing, commercialization, and domestic activities, demonstrating the centrality of women in the community’s social and economic reproduction. Participatory mapping identified critical areas within the Boa Vista Stream mangrove and the Batoque Lagoon, associated with species decline and environmental degradation. The seasonal calendar highlighted periods of abundance, closed season, and scarcity, reinforcing the shellfish gatherers’ accuracy in interpreting ecological indicators. It was observed that 100% of the interviewees depend on shellfish harvesting as a partial or total source of income, predominantly use artisanal tools, and identify climate change, sedimentation, declining water quality, and the artificial opening of the sandbar as the main threats to the ecosystem. The GUT analysis identified as priorities the improvement of access routes to harvesting areas, logistical support, mangrove conservation measures, and the strengthening of shared management practices. The study demonstrates that shellfish gatherers play a decisive role in the governance of the RESEX by actively participating in the deliberative council and territorial management forums, where they articulate traditional ecological knowledge, community organization, and territorial defense. It is concluded that the recognition of these forms of knowledge and the expansion of specific public policies are essential for socio-environmental sustainability and for the continuity of traditional ways of life in coastal zones.