A wellbeing analysis of fishers in a Brazilian coastal shantytown

Cintia Gillam PhD Candidate in Applied Science Department of Environmental Science, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS cintia.gillam@smu.ca Dr. Tony Charles Senior Research Fellow in Environment and Sustainability... [ view full abstract ]

Cintia Gillam

PhD Candidate in Applied Science

Department of Environmental Science, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS

cintia.gillam@smu.ca

Dr. Tony Charles

Senior Research Fellow in Environment and Sustainability

School of the Environment and School of Business, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS

tony.charles@smu.ca

Abstract

Both poverty and environmentally degradation affect the wellbeing of the slum community of Vila dos Pescadores, in São Paulo state, Southeast Brazil. On the positive side, however, strong relational wellbeing has enabled fishers and the community overall to deal with environmental shocks, and has been a major factor in the resilience of the community, as it recovered from a major environmental disaster. Strong relational wellbeing also makes the community keen to engage in conservation initiatives that have the potential to enhance the material wellbeing of the community and its fisher population, e.g. in improving the availability of fish and shellfish. It is important at the policy level to provide support in multiple directions – to involvement of the Vila dos Pescadores community in conservation initiatives, and to better assist this and other slum communities in environmentally degraded areas.