FISHERMEN AND “INSURANCE-DEFENSE”: REFLECTIONS ON PROCESSES OF CONSTITUTION OF IDENTITIES IN AN AMAZONIAN RIVERINE COMMUNITY

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyze the influence of a public policy program motivated by environmental concerns in the process of formation of collective identity associated with the use of common resources. The survey was conducted in a riverine community of the state of Pará as a case study, during 2010 and 2011. The procedures were observations and interviews (a total of 33 with leaders, affiliated and unaffiliated of “insurance-defense”).The key findings show: i) the complexity of implementing a  program of public policy aimed at social groups that develop several activities simultaneously; ii) the role played by social actors who, according to their interests, give new meaning to the official rules, iii) the overlapping identities given the possibility of having facilitated their survival; iv) controversies concerning the initiative to conserve natural resources.Keywords: Fishing ban period insurance, fishermen, natural resourcemanagement.