The "Ecos da Babitonga" exhibition highlighted the cultural heritage and history of small-scale fishing in southern Brazil

The exhibition shows how Brazilian fishing has changed lifestyles and livelihoods over millennia 

The exhibition brought together elements of the region's fishing history and the experiences of countless fishermen who contribute to its cultural wealth and food security. The project exhibition aimed to build a better future for Brazilian artisanal fisheries and engage with stakeholders across the region - focusing on Babitonga Bay, but with wider implications for fishing communities in southern Brazil. Our researchers Andre Colonese and Leopoldo Gerhardinger participated in numerous events organised as part of the exhibition. 

Livelihoods of artisanal fishing communities are under increasing pressure from competing demands of regional economic development and measures taken for environmental protection. This is eroding the socio-cultural fabric of important coastal regions, where often the last remnants of indigenous populations are found. Younger generations seek employment elsewhere as fishing offers no job security or economic benefit. Oceans are subject to further pressure through unregulated over-fishing, and the fragile ecosystems stressed by climate change are pushed beyond their ecological resilience through marine pollution which damages the coastline. Their intrinsic relationship with the oceans is often bound up in the communities themselves, through folkloric tales, traditional fishing practices and respect for the environment. 

Traditional knowledge of small-scale fisheries can play a prominent role in current debates and the development of policies concerning sustainable fisheries and biodiversity. However, these fisheries and the local fishing communities are historically invisible in these debates and their survival is under threat from industrial fishing, tourism and other pressures such as climate change. Not only that, but local knowledge is important for protecting the environment and preserving cultural identity.

TRADITION is a European Research Council Consolidator Grant funded research project. The project is a partnership between ICTA-UAB, the Stockholm Environment Institute, the University of York and other supporters such as the Memories of the Sea Collective. 

Since 2019, it has been researching the long-term development of small-scale fisheries in South America, and their legacy to present day food security and poverty alleviation. Specifically, the project has been Investigating the historical ecology of marine fisheries along the coast of Brazil over the last 5000 years, during major cultural and environmental changes in the region.

The “Eccos da Babitonga/Babitonga Echoes" Interactive Exhibition leverages the power of art, science, and technology to raise awareness about the small-scale fishing communities of Babitonga Bay, and their relationship with the ocean and its sustainability. The exhibition seeks to promote dialogue and inspire action toward a future of fair and sustainable ocean governance, ultimately contributing to global efforts toward preserving ocean life and livelihoods.

'Babitonga Echoes' is the result of a collaboration between the Tradition project team and the fishing communities of Babitonga Bay and other supporting organisations, which began in 2023. The project aims to understand ocean sustainability by listening to the echoes of these communities and combining various innovative methods to create a resonant educational journey. The exhibition has been designed and produced in close collaboration with local artists and creatives, as well as the Museu do Joinville, to create an educational resource that will exist beyond the life of the Festa. This has been used to simplify complex scientific concepts and make them resonate with other visitors, ultimately raising public awareness and encouraging informed choices that lead to better environmental stewardship. 

ICTA-UAB has been involved in producing digital stories.TRADITION Storytellers are from the Babitonga Bay area. They are the gatekeepers to their community’s knowledge and through their stories we illuminate local challenges, conditions and situations that are not recorded using traditional fieldwork methods. 

They received training to empower them with skills to create their digital stories - developing their story narrative, producing storyboards and filming. Their stories represent different stakeholders’ perspectives on issues of blue justice such as livelihoods, gender and youth issues and seek to help identify future pathways to resilient traditional fishing. 

Photovoice is a participatory action research method in which a group of participants capture photographic images to convey different aspects of their lives, experiences and thoughts, with the aim of sharing them with others. The aim is to promote dialogue about broader community issues and convey important messages to the general public, legislators, and political decision makers.  

In Tradition, 6 women fishermen from Canal do Linguado and Barra do Sul in Bahia Babitonga participated with their photos and voices. The participants rigorously documented, through their photographs and captions, what they considered to be the challenges and benefits of artisanal fishing and related work; as well as their hopes and aspirations for the future of the sector and Babitonga. They met several times to discuss their photographs and select those that best represented the group's voice.