Defending the Beach: Transdisciplinary Approaches in Small-Scale Fisheries in Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

At the northern estuaries in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, small-scale fishing activities are intensively carried out, mostly targeting shellfishes. A compelling number of fishers make this activity their main source of income or as a complementary activity to salaried work, being an important supply of protein and food security for their families. Social inequality remains critical in most rural communities, and ongoing lack of visibility and economic perception affect household income. There are considerable conflicts associated with access to beaches, as well as seas and estuaries, mostly through private land or tourism, aquaculture, agriculture, and urbanization. The highly contested and entangled socio-spatial and institutional contours of small-scale fisheries in the study region turn the story of this fisher population into an emblematic struggle for ‘defending the beach’. We describe the wicked nature of the challenges faced by small-scale fisheries in the region, and their struggles to gain land ownership and access to the beach and to coastal fishing areas, such as estuaries.