“Depois da Barragem Tudo Mudou”: O Drama da Pesca e dos Pescadores Artesanais do Médio Rio Tocantins

Abstract

In this study we have proposed to analyze the Etnoictiologic knowledge of agriculturalist fishers of the Medio Rio Tocantins, located in the municipalities of Palmeirante-To and Itapiratins-To before the new configurations of ecosystems provided by the Hydroelectric Luis Eduardo Magalhaes, also called Lajeado dam, located in Lajeado-To, and inaugurated in 2001. Through qualitative approach we have analyzed data collected from the first insertion, which occurred in 2007, through the Participant Observation, individual and group interviews with adults and young men and women. The results show that due to constant environmental changes which happened in the post dam period, among them, changing the ebb and flood cycle, also, the inefficient hydrological control that intervened in the natural cycle of the water level, some varieties of fish species have declined and hence the practice of artisanal fishing. This, in turn, has influenced dramatically the relations of these actors with the river and the place. Because of these and other problems, we reaffirm that dams are threat, not only to ecosystems that are upstream of the reservoirs, but also to all sociobiodiversity that historically has been built and rebuilt downstream. Key-words: fishing knowledge, modus vivendi, changes, ecosystems.