Porto Central promoted in the morning of Thursday (19/10) a Dialogue Circle to listen to women involved in fishing activities in Presidente Kennedy, the municipality in the Southern Region of Espírito Santo where the port complex will be installed. The meeting took place at the headquarters of Colônia Z14, in Marobá, and was attended by 40 women linked to the local fishing chain.

The participants were able to clarify their doubts about how to organize themselves collectively so that, in the future, they can generate extra income from the work they perform in the fishing activity, such as adding value to the fishing or shellfish product and contributing even more to the development of the locality. A process that will have the support of Porto Central from the beginning of its marine works. 

On the occasion, the execution coordinator of Porto Central's socioeconomic programs, Léa Reis, thanked everyone for their presence and highlighted the importance of community and listening. According to the coordinator, the objective of the meeting was to present possibilities and paths so that these women can understand the process of this collective construction, planting a seed so that together they can reap good results.

As an inspiring idea, participants were presented with the operating model of the women's cooperative Arte Peixe, located in Atafona, a district in the municipality of São João da Barra (RJ), with the aim of detailing some possibilities of this market. The explanation was made by the director of the Institute of Agroecology and Environment (Iama), Pedro Champion, responsible for monitoring the cooperative, which has been a reference in its region by integrating the sale of culinary products and handicrafts, among others, for almost two decades.   

The residents of Presidente Kennedy were interested in learning more about the project in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, one of the actions agreed upon during the event was a visit to Arte Peixe's headquarters and space, on a date to be scheduled.

Other partners present at the event, Sebrae and Presidente Kennedy City Hall, made themselves available in case of interest in the development of the actions, from now on and in accordance with the mission of the institutions they represent.

Municipality

After the presentation by the Iama representative, the Fisheries coordinator of Presidente Kennedy City Hall, Bernardo Rody Machado, answered some of the audience's questions regarding the role of the municipality in fishing activities, especially questions about the payment of taxes and how financial resources are channeled towards fishing.

The coordinator also addressed the importance of community and citizen participation and how women can join forces to change the reality in which they live.

Business

The Sebrae-ES analyst, Thiago Costa, also attended the event, who instigated the workers to think about what they want and what they don’t want as a business model. One of the residents' doubts is whether they would have autonomy in their work, something they strongly demanded and emphasized, and the answer was positive. 

According to Costa, the group will not include representatives of a public body, institution, company or any other external actor. These will act as support only, without direct influence on management or leadership. In this way, the partners' mission is to act as a facilitator against possible bureaucratic bottlenecks and in favor of access to the best opportunities.  

Still on this topic, Luis Augusto, representative of the company contracted by Porto Central to execute the Fishing Activity Monitoring Program and for the dialogue process with fishing communities to confirm or update the Fishing Activity Compensation Plan (PCAP), since September 2021, AquaBiocean, spoke of the importance of workers making the best decision about the model to be adopted, with the options being, among others, a factory or a processing site. 

"In these cases, the organization to be created may already have its projects included in the  PCAP of the municipality of Presidente Kennedy, agreed in 2015, confirmed in 2017. Now again the subject of dialogue with the fishing communities for confirmation or update, there will be details with a view to starting the implementation of the projects from the beginning of the marine works to install the port",“highlighted Luis Augusto.

The environmental manager of Porto Central, Sueli Tonini, reinforced the support role to be provided by the entities, showing how this action through the establishment of partnerships, such as between the institutions present at that meeting, is an important opportunity for the fishing communities in the Porto Central area of ​​influence. "Shorts the paths to reach the most advanced stages in this new business development process, following legal precepts and respecting the autonomy of each party", highlighted Sueli.

The secretary of Colônia Z14, Renata Carvalho Belonia, reiterated the relevance of collectivity, initiative and unity, including choosing within the group the leadership that will represent women in dialogues with both public authorities and the private sector. She highlighted, again, that the autonomy of the group will lead all the work, which creates opportunities and responsibilities.

The meeting not only sought to address socioeconomic development and women's autonomy in fishing, but also highlighted the importance of care and awareness about women's health. As part of this initiative, participants received informative material about the Pink October Campaign, a reminder of the ongoing need to combat breast cancer.