Fishing for Spawning: Techniques of Sururu Fishing and Domestic Biodiversity in the Mundaú Lagoon (Maceió, AL)

• Grant number: 24/15591-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Guilherme Moura Fagundes
• Grantee: Nicollas Pinheiro de Lima Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project underpins an ethnography of sururu (Mytella falcata) fishing in Maceió (AL), focusing on the research problem of the modes of action and technical gestures that shape domestic biodiversity within artisanal fishing. As a member of the mussel family, the shellfish in question is a northeastern culinary delicacy and is one of the main fish products sold in popular markets and luxury restaurants in the Alagoas capital. Nevertheless, its production chain is linked to political conflicts that have contributed to the increasing blame placed on fishermen for the decline of the species. Through an ethnography of sururu fishing techniques, the aim is to examine the modes of action and technical gestures, highlighting that they not only conserve but also promote the sociobiodiversity of the Mundaú Lagoon.