ARRASTãO

Residents of a fishing village swarm to a beach in the region of Cairu, in northeastern Brazil, for a day of labor.

Few livelihoods are as communal as Fishing. Fellow fishermen share their boats, nets and the catch at the end of the day.  Once a knowledge passed from one generation to the next that allowed its beholder a lifetime livelihood, artisan fishing is now in decline.

Unlike most regions of the country, in 2007, the State of Bahia still had more than 80% of its fishing industry based in artisan fishing according to Brazil’s Environmental Protection Agency - IBAMA. But more often than not, small boats cannot compete against commercial vessels; the guidance by stars and tides is being replaced by the convenience of sonars to locate shoals, and the ecological impact of predatory fishery and pollution are turning once plentiful fishing now scarce.