Cambury, the remaining fisherman community

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Brazil | Thursday, October 14, 2010 | flickr photos

Cambury is one of the last fishermen villages in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. About 25 miles distant from the nearest city, the community takes place inside the "Serra do Mar" national park.

Mr. Ingreis, the oldest inhabitant, has already stopped fishing and depends on his sons' help. "How old do you think I am? I'm 77. I was born here and my father, who died with my current age, also was born in this village", says.

One of his sons, Fabinho, tells he likes what he does, altough relying on fishing is not always safe. "We do not grow anything in the sea. We just harvest from it, so, we can't complain about it", affirms. Some villagers, beside selling fish, also run small snack bars.

According to the resident, Cambury was founded more than 300 years ago. Alongside the fisherman village, lives and cohabits an community of fugitive african slaves, which is named a quilombo.

The pictures were taken in a rainy day. What I tried to portray was a little of the activity of the fishermen and their village.

The best picture, in my opinion, is the one which inhabitants are around the canoe to see what was fished. That is the moment when the five men who entered the sea decide what's the portion that each inhabitant can have - for free.

This wasn't a good day for fishing. Still, Fabinho says, we can't complain because the sea is a gift. What was fished wasn't sold for anyone, and is recurrent. The turtles fishermen catch everyday are kept until the other day, when people from government project Tamar come, label and free the animals.

I should be chosen because my connection with the environment is huge, even living in Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest urban area. I want to show people from the city how and why changing their lives in behalf of the Earth is important.