Fishermen request mullet fishing ranch to be located in Praia de Taquarinhas, City Hall refuses

The mullet harvest ended on Monday (31), but the fishermen of Praia de Taquarinhas, in Balneário Camboriú, are asking the town hall, through the Secretary of the Environment, to allow the rancho they built to remain permanently on the beach so that it can be used all year. The municipal authority does not accept the request. Follow below.

The ranch was made for mullet fishing

Fisherman Gabriel Euflorzino remembers that Praia de Taquarinhas is traditional for mullet fishing and that they make a fishing ranch every year. In previous years, ranches were damaged by rain and wind because the construction was unsafe. This year they decided to build a stronger one, with wood, to build it, like they have in the neighboring Taquaras beach.

“It was a lot of work, we did it a few days before the fishing started. We did a crowdfunding to buy tiles because there was a lot of water bubbling in the ranch (on the overlay canvas). Then the municipal authority embargoed us and that’s when everything started,” he emphasizes.

the ranch is a necessity

The Environment Secretary would have “forced” the Taquarinhas fishermen to sign a bond, with a daily fine if they did not comply with the decision (the fishermen could keep the ranch during the harvest, but later it would have to be demolished).

“We did not know about this term, we had a meeting with the Union and they explained to us that there is an ordinance created for artisanal fishermen, just like our situation. We needed a statement [da prefeitura, para manter o rancho], but they intimidated us and denied it and then made us sign the demolition clause. We are trying to dialogue with them to extend the deadline because we intend to fish other species of fish and we have authorization for that. We must have a ranch for storage and also maintain canoes, nets and gear. We have the support of city councilor Eduardo Zanatta, who is helping us,” he says.

Mayor Fabrício would have supported it, but was later “overruled”

Gabriel points out that they are acting in a peaceful way, but that they need the support of the town hall, which would deny it “in a completely direct way”, without giving a voice to the fishermen of Tacuarinhas.

There was a meeting with Mayor Fabrício Oliveira, at which he reportedly said he would keep the ranch, but was later “taken away”.

“We are alone in this, so we rely on the support of councilors and the press. Since 2015 we have been doing ranch work and there was another owner before who did it as well. We struggled to build the ranch, we managed to give the wood and this question came from the town hall. We talked to them, tried to discuss and the necessary document is not published. requirement [a prefeitura] that there should be a law, which will be created, but they don’t realize how much hassle it is to demolish and then rebuild the ranch,” he said.

Gabriel remembers that Tacuarinhas is a beach that is difficult to access and that the area they use was already used for the ranch.

“It is not feasible to carry fishing gear back and forth, there are old men and women fishing there. I come from a family of fishermen, we try to preserve this culture, but it is increasingly difficult, with the town hall putting up a dam,” he concludes.

What does the Minister of the Environment say?

Page 3 sought out Balneário Camboriú’s Environment Secretary, Maria Heloísa Lenzi, who reported that the fishermen signed a term of commitment, which was the mechanism they found to be able to work while fishing for mullet.

He claims that, even without permission, the fishermen from Taquarinhas built the rancho on the beach, using wood – the same situation happened in Praia do Pinho, and it would be worse.

“In Pinho they cut the vegetation and even concreted the restinga. In Taquarinhas they built only with wood and did not harm the vegetation. In Taquarinhas, they immediately signed the time commitment, which was very clear in relation to the demolition, which is done after the harvest. In Pinio, however, they did not sign and even protested, even though they knew they were wrong,” he explained.

Legislation to deal with fixed ranches in process

Heloísa stated that the fishermen committed an irregularity by building without permission and indicates that [pescadores] They already had a goal of trying to maintain the ranch in a sustainable way since they were using wood.

“They tried to install eternit, a much more stable structure. At the same time, we at the Secretariat of the Environment and the Cultural Foundation are preparing legislation that will deal with fishing ranches, because it is not just about deciding to have a ranch and building it on the beach. There can’t be a ranch for every canoe, the goal is to have one for the whole community (it’s not yet determined how many ranches there will be on each beach – but in the central one the ranches will be mobile), as is the case in Takuaras. We want to guarantee equality for everyone in mullet fishing, without personalization,” he pointed out.

The secretary also said that there can be no sale of products or parties at the ranches – because reports have arrived that there have been cases of “drunkenness and drug use” at the ranches in Praia Central, but they do not know whether it was from the fishermen or the homeless, who they could have “exploited” the structure.

“The law will address fixed ranches, to store gear throughout the year and for use during the mullet harvest and if needed to be used during another season for other fisheries. Remembering that we cannot accept that it is a house and a place for parties – the purpose is fishing, since it is in a public place. We want everything to be within the legality with a standard for the ranches, not for the fishermen to act alone, as has been done,” he concluded, noting that the legislation should be forwarded to the mayor this year and that for the 2024 harvest, it is already in place. ..