As resistências socioterritoriais em uma comunidade tradicional pesqueira: as marés de conflitos e as disputas em Enxu Queimado/RN

Abstract

The traditional fishing community of Enxu Queimado is situated in Pedra Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). It holds significant socio-environmental and socioeconomic importance for the municipality, having utilized and inhabited the area for over a century, wherein they maintain and perpetuate their social, material, and immaterial ways of life. In the mid-2007, in response to the encroachment of speculative capital from the real estate sector, several residents organized into a committee, seeking partnerships to legally thwart attempts at displacement. By 2011, wind energy projects were introduced into the territory, with wind turbines erected and surrounding the community. In 2020, real estate companies once again sought to expel families by claiming ownership of the land. By 2022, the community faced the prospect of offshore wind projects, exacerbating existing conflicts at the time of this dissertation's composition. From this backdrop, the primary inquiry arises: how has the traditional fishing community of Enxu Queimado mobilized to withstand the imminent process of displacement? To address this query, the current research endeavors to examine the initiatives of socio-territorial movements aimed at organizing and safeguarding the traditional fishing grounds of Enxu Queimado. Recognizing that these individuals consider the territory fundamental to their existence, as their actions are predicated on asserting their territorial rights. Thus, the methodological approach employed encompasses both quantitative and qualitative aspects, incorporating literature reviews, documentary analysis, website and blog surveys, as well as quantitative data gathering from official Brazilian electric sector databases such as the National Electric Energy Agency's Generation Information System (SIGA) and the Electric Sector Georeferenced Information System (SIGEL). Additionally, fieldwork involves participant observation in meetings and collective actions, as well as conducting semistructured interviews with movement participants, representatives of the fishermen's colony (Z32), partners identified during fieldwork, and local government officials. The analysis of data takes into account the narratives of these movements and other stakeholders involved in conflicts to understand the strategies devised for preserving their territorial integrity. This examination reveals that the involvement of women in the management committee, alongside the resistance exhibited by Enxu Queimado's residents, signifies a challenge to the prevailing globalized and capitalist development model, which fails to align with the traditional community's way of life, culture, and customs. Notably, this model disregards considerations of surplus value exploitation and profit maximization. Such findings underscore that the process of organization, struggle, and resistance among traditional peoples serves as a potent means of countering the prevailing hegemonic model, which has commodified nature for profit. Nonetheless, genuine development entails addressing multifaceted aspects and ensuring improved living standards for all.