Pesca artesanal e desenvolvimento local: o movimento nacional dos pescadores – MONAPE (1990-2009)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to characterize and analyse the National Movement of the Fishermen (MONAPE), between 1990 and 2009, seeking to understand the contributions of this social movement for the local development in fishing communities of Pernambuco. In order to do that, it inserts the phenomenon in the field of traditional culture studies, from conceptions of Diegues economical and social anthropology studies (1983, 1998, 2002). While facing a wide variety of theories of American and European schools, it decided to use the studies of Callou (1986, 1994), Gohn (2003, 2004), Sherer-Warren (1996), Silva (1988, 2004), Peruzzo (1998), Ramalho (1999, 2004), Rosenmann (2003) and Santos (2005) on social popular movements in Latin America and Brazil. There was made an option for the theoretical framework pointed by Callou (2003, 2006, 2007), Franco (2006), Jara (2001), Matos (2005), Milani (2005), Oliveira (2001) and Tauk Santos (2000, 2003) to analyse the MONAPE, in the parameters of Local Development. Having in mind that social movements of fishermen and the MONAPE itself were studied by a few authors, in a scattered way in time and geographical space, the historical reports of Callou (1986), Cardoso (2001), Diegues (1983, 1995), Silva (1988), Potiguar Júnior (2001), Ramalho (1999) and other documents about that theme in Brazil were taken in account. To deal specifically with the MONAPE also implicated to follow a path formed by several historical moments that influenced the life of fishermen and the whole society. On these terms, this work makes a continuous reference to the social, political and economic context in which the MONAPE is inserted, emphasizing public policies in the fishing field and Fishing Extension. It is a case study because it investigates a contemporary phenomenon of the real life (YIN, 2005), using several techniques to ease the understanding of the object of study. Among them, double-check of documents, journalistic and publicity material produced for or by the MONAPE. Other instruments of investigation were: participation in fishermen's meetings and seminars about the fishing area, semi-structured interviews and informal conversations with leaders and advisers of the above-mentioned movement. From the qualitative analysis it was noted that though the MONAPE contemplates several dimensions of local development, it faces an unprecedented crisis, causing a continuous loss of representativeness among brazilian fishermen. The internal competition of power and the difficulties of management and communication affect, mostly, the human and social capital built along the last 21 years. Without the “collective energy” of fishermen it is difficult to guarantee the sustainability of the MONAPE, which nowadays continues to depend on a few leaders