Ivone and Iza Farias load their handmade crabbing traps into their boat and set off along the Mocajuba River in the Amazonian mangroves of northern Brazil The motor’s rattle drowns out the hum of cicadas and trills of birds as they glide down the still estuary Iza tosses the baited traps into the water by the riverbank as the boat chugs along “This is our supermarket,” she tells Mongabay gesturing toward the spindly roots stretched into the water This is where everything we have comes from.” The shellfish gatherers circle back and guide the boat toward the submerged traps pulling them out of the water in hope of finding a crab inside They keep the large crabs and toss back the small ones along with practices like not fishing during the crabs’ breeding season in Brazil they continue to face localized threats such as fires and the encroachment of monocultures like coconut and oil palm plantations Crucial to controlling these threats are women like Ivone and Iza who are part of the Mothers of the Mangroves network an all-female collective with more than 800 fishers shellfish collectors and artisans from 12 coastal extractive reserves in Pará they act as guardians of the mangroves and their traditional heritage while ensuring financial security within their communities our territory is a legacy and responsibility that we carry,” Renilde Piedade da Silva a community leader in the Mothers of the Mangroves network in the Mocapajuba Marine Extractive Reserve tells Mongabay during a visit to the São João da Ponta Extractive Reserve have a mission to show that the mangroves are not just a source of income food and livelihood; it’s responsible for life on the planet.” The women gather in a sheltered patio of a single-story home in the village within the São João da Ponta reserve they discuss the quality of local crab meat They explain that their crab meat is known for being premium and pure unlike cheaper varieties that may be mixed with other meats such as stingray Their status as an all-women collective from an extractive reserve adds further value Silva then delivers a speech about the importance of their network and the goals they’ve achieved in the past year It’s about protecting and taking care of where you live,” she says “Our main objective as an extractive reserve is to strengthen and care for our way of life In this region of Brazil, which has the highest number of fisherwomen in the country women shoulder the dual responsibilities of providing for and caring for their families as well as identifying predatory extractive activities in their area female extractivists have typically been undervalued and overlooked in their communities and territories This started to change in 2021 after a campaign led by the nonprofit Rare Brasil and social organization Purpose highlighted the role of extractivist women in their traditional communities and the health of the mangroves. It featured a four-part video series showing the women practicing their sustainable fishing showcasing traditional recipes and Amazonian cultural aspects the women formed the Mothers of the Mangroves network to increase their visibility and bolster the defense of the ecosystems they depend on Silva describes the group as a “hive,” with the leaders known as the “queen bees” and the rest of the members as the “little bees.” With continued financial and educational support from Rare Brasil the network engages in a wide range of activities designed to improve their standard of living while also protecting the mangrove but the most important thing is for us to participate to be informed of our rights,” Carmelita de Fátima Sousa Luz a community leader from the São João da Ponta reserve and board member of the Extractive Reserve Mother Association The network organizes community-based meetings forums and seminars to teach best sustainable practices for fishing and harvesting resources in the mangroves such as what species to go after at certain times to preserve biodiversity It also includes financial education initiatives and savings clubs for individuals and communities Through seed funds, each saving club earns a micro-investment of up to 5,000 reais (about $900) to finance a venture related to fishery activities One community invested in a sewing machine to produce more artisanal clothes and accessories while the São João da Ponta collective invested in a freezer to store fish to sell later and help boost local income such as the Santa Clara and Tatu communities used native tree seeds and traditional knowledge to produce natural oils and sold them at fair-trade markets while raising the importance of conserving nearby mangroves — all of which contribute to stronger environmental protection and sustainable development “It goes to show just what a small investment can lead to,” Bruna Melo a financial inclusion and market access analyst at Rare Brasil adding that the initiative also has a wider impact in forging collaboration within the community “Even though these initiatives generate income our evaluation revealed that the focus was not primarily on earnings but on the sense of community and coexistence among [the women],” she says The success of Mothers of the Mangroves challenges deep-rooted social inequalities especially regarding the roles of men and women in income generation “Sometimes it hurts men knowing a woman earns more than her husband,” Silva says Silva says they hope to continue expanding their network to include other women extractivists The group’s efforts are gaining recognition. In October last year, the Spanish Embassy in Brazil awarded the network a Rural Women Award which accepts entries from rural women’s collectives across Brazil and aims to acknowledge and value women’s roles in agriculture It’s about raising awareness among our community in the reserves,” Silva says “Families from within the reserve believe that they live in the best place in the world we wonder why these people didn’t also take care of the place where they live.” Despite living in one of the world’s best-preserved mangrove areas conditions for traditional communities remain far from ideal Most lack infrastructure such as paved roads basic sanitation and sometimes even clean drinking water But the women tell Mongabay that what matters most to them is the preservation of their mangroves and their culture “Everything I am today is thanks to the Mothers of the Mangroves network,” Silva says “We simply want our territory preserved and respected Banner image: Women in the São João da Ponta Extractive Reserve fish for crabs on the Mocajuba River in the Amazonian mangroves of northern Brazil In the Sundarbans, women are embracing mangrove restoration as an alternative livelihood FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] the page you were looking for could not be found The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web