Mulheres pescadoras da várzea do município de Parintins – AM: a pesca do camarão nas comunidades da Brasília e Catispera

Abstract

Fishing is one of the oldest socio-economic activities historically developed by Amazonian people living on the margins of the river, on firm land or flood plains. They lead their lives and live off their surroundings in correlation with the water, land and forest. It is particularly in the lake-side environments of the flood plain that this important activity has evolved, through the discovery and presence of the best yields. It has become the main food and economic resource for the coastal communities of Amazonas state, as in Parintins. This dissertation aimed to study fishing, and its relationship with activities performed by women, as it exists on the edge of lakes and riverbanks in the communities of Brasilia and Catispera in the municipality of Parintins. The activity involves the capture, preparation and marketing of freshwater or floodplain shrimp. The context led our reflections to take a phenomenological approach which enabled us to more adequately understand the possible social and environmental relationships fisherwomen experience in and with the floodplain. The research objectives are to try and understand through mind mapping, the relationships that are produced by women’s presence in fishing environments and the marketing of shrimp, as well as understand how women perceive and represent fishing areas. Mind mapping: representations of how the world is lived and perceived, provided us with valuable information about the areas and the fishing techniques of fisherwomen. They are representations constucted through the perspective of those who live and experience that reality. This research enabled us to perceive and comprehend the floodplain beyond its physical and human aspects. We developed an understanding through the experiences lived by the women in the productive units of the floodplain, specifially related to fishing