Since 2017, Enseada Indústria Naval (ENSEADA) has been seeking to boost and strengthen the Oyster Farming Project led by the Association of Fishermen and Shellfish Harvesters of São Roque do Paraguaçu (AMSRP), aiming the promoting of oyster farming in the region. In December 2022, ENSEADA donated 300 dozen of oyster matrices to boost the production of the shellfish. In March 2023, the company distributed kits of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)containing gloves, hats, sneakers, and UV shirts (protection against ultraviolet radiation), in order to promote better working conditions and safety for the shellfish harvesters who are part of the project.

According to Norma Crispina, vice-president of the Association of Fishermen and Shellfish Harvesters of São Roque do Paraguaçu, “with the mortality of oysters caused by the large discharge of freshwater from floods, the shipyard made a donation of 300 dozen oysters, which was of great value to the whole group. In March, the SRP Oyster Farming group received PPE kits from the company for the oyster farming group, which is very important for our safety while working in the tide. The group appreciates it.”

“The idea of cultivation started in conversations with shellfish harvesters who complained of a shortage of shellfish in the mangroves. In mid-2017, we started with a food safety course with the professors from IFBA in Salinas da Margarida. Later on, the professors got organized with the company ENSEADA, which supported us with transportation from São Roque to Salinas to enable our participation in the Oyster Farming course in 2019”, adds Crispina.

At that time, the group had the partnership of Bahia Pesca, a company that is part of the structure of the Government of Bahia, which donated the oyster bags and provided technical assistance through the NGO Humana Brasil.

Since then, farming has been installed in the port of João da Hora, on the banks of the Baetantã River, and has the partnership of the Aliança Kirimurê, Ori Institute and ENSEADA.

The oyster bags, or “pillows”, are recommended for mangrove regions with large tidal variations and in shallow areas. The pillows are horizontally attached to tables made of steel or wooden bars and should be installed on the shores, positioned at a depth that remains submerged and only exposed during high or full moon tides, when management is performed.

Currently, the project benefits 10 families of female shellfish harvesters and the monthly production expectation is 160 dozens of oysters, with an average revenue of BRL150.00 per harvester. The group’s perspective is to increase oyster production and thus ensure an increase in income and improvement in the quality of life for their families.

Enseada considers it of great importance to invest in initiatives aimed at the autonomy and sustainability of socio-environmental projects connected to the surrounding territories. By supporting this project, which is the result of numerous partnerships, the female shellfish harvesters now have a secure source of income, which is one of the most effective ways to reduce unemployment, combat poverty and violence, as well as improve the productivity, quality and competitiveness of the product in the market. The company believes in the power of human relationships and in the potential of each person to promote a more sustainable future.

This project is included in the scope of the Fishing Directive Plan – PDP, within the Enseada’s Program for Sustainability of Fishing Activity – PSAP, whose AXIS III focuses on supporting sustainable fishing and farming projects, contributing to increase the income of fishermen and shellfish farmers and collaborating to reduce fishing effort in the Iguape Bay region.