Fisherwomen impacted by Braskem’s crime reach out to government
Fisherwomen and women shellfish harvesters and from Alagoas state who have had their lives impacted by the environmental crime of the Braskem mining company called on the country’s Minister of Women Cida Gonçalves for support in dealing with the damage caused by the exploitation of rock salt.
Seven years ago, portions of neighborhoods in Maceió, the state capital, sank, impacting the lives of approximately 60 thousand people, including those who work in shellfish harvesting.
The president of the Alagoas association fishing workers FEPEAL, Maria Silva Santos, told Agência Brasil that the meeting with the minister was crucial for bringing public policy demands to the attention of all the workers directly affected.
“The environmental impact on women shellfish harvesters has meant, for instance, that they have to work in a place more than two hours away from where they used to earn their living,” she noted.
The minister heard that women have lost not only their homes but also the authorization to work in their territories and a significant slice of their family income—not to mention the effects of water contamination.
“We suffer various types of violence and it’s not just ordinary violence. It’s also environmental racism, the pollution of our rivers and seas,” said fisherwoman Ana Paula Santos, from the Fisherwomen’s Network of Costa dos Corais.
Tradition
Minister Cida Gonçalves assured that the government will do whatever it takes to speed up solutions, including mobilizing other ministers. Maria Silva Santos, who attended the meeting, said that many of these workers are mothers and responsible for supporting their families.
“Many chose this profession because they like it, they respect the tradition of their parents and grandparents, and they were brought up in these areas,” she said.
Alagoas, a state on the northeast coast of Brazil, is home to 20,643 artisanal fishing professionals, 58 percent of them are women, as per official data from 2023. A total of 12 thousand women are estimated to be involved in fishing, including informal activities, with an average income of less than the minimum wage.
