A Muddy Way Of Living

ECUADOR | Friday, 11 January 2013 | Views [235] | View Larger Image

Shell fishing is hard work; they spend 5 to 6 hours a day in this uncomfortable position, walking over roots in the mud searching for shellfish. It can also be dangerous as it is a natural habitat for a large and weird assortment of insects, toadfish and snakes, to name a few. Rosa was a victim of a snakebite years ago; since then she wears boots, however many of them still walk barefoot.

Bolivar (Ecuador), a poor village surrounded by mangrove swamps, is far removed from the main cities. To get there you have to travel a muddy road far removed from the highway and then a narrow estuary that separates this little island from the mainland. Shell fishing is the main source of sustenance. Every day women and children go out to the mangrove swamps to shellfish, as they have been doing for decades.

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After searching for shellfish they put their day´s catch in a pail and clean them. “This work is hard for us, but men in town don’t work much and if we don’t bring the money home, nobody does” Maria Cagua (52 years old) told me. She has ten children, seven grandchildren and they all live in her house. They usually pick from 50 to 60 shellfish in about 5 hours, depending on luck and experience. The cost per hundred shellfish varies from $6 to $10 (US Dollars).

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A Muddy Way Of Living

A Muddy Way Of Living

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