I am a young oceanographer and NAUI instructor currently living in a small coastal community in Ilha Grande, an island in the south of Brazil. I worked here in the past as an instructor but since the pandemic I have decided to dedicate myself to find sustainable solutions for this community and the planet.
As divers, we know fish nets area a great danger in the ocean, and I want to prevent the nets from getting there, making it financially interesting for fisherman to bring back used nets. I take those used nets to local people in my community, where they sew the nets manually using traditional knowledge, and turn the nets into net bags that can substitute plastic bags. The bags are then sold to tourists and online (www.fazermarulho.com.br). This project has been going on for over a year, but now I am looking to expand this venture, and employee more locals – specially since Covid-19 has hit our tourist area badly and there are lots of unemployed people.
In order to expand my initiative, I have been granted a workspace in an abandoned sardine factory by its former owner. That is because in the community I live there used to be a major sardine factory back in 1980-1990. Since the business went down, the place was been abandoned. The owner wants this area to be used by the local people, so the locals can claim it and use it to keep their memories alive – in the future, the idea is to turn it in a museum. For now, I can start the process of making the people reclaim that area, but to do that there are some safety and infrastructural challenges to be dealt with first – and that is why I need your help!
As divers, we know fish nets area a great danger in the ocean, and I want to prevent the nets from getting there, making it financially interesting for fisherman to bring back used nets. I take those used nets to local people in my community, where they sew the nets manually using traditional knowledge, and turn the nets into net bags that can substitute plastic bags. The bags are then sold to tourists and online (www.fazermarulho.com.br). This project has been going on for over a year, but now I am looking to expand this venture, and employee more locals – specially since Covid-19 has hit our tourist area badly and there are lots of unemployed people.
In order to expand my initiative, I have been granted a workspace in an abandoned sardine factory by its former owner. That is because in the community I live there used to be a major sardine factory back in 1980-1990. Since the business went down, the place was been abandoned. The owner wants this area to be used by the local people, so the locals can claim it and use it to keep their memories alive – in the future, the idea is to turn it in a museum. For now, I can start the process of making the people reclaim that area, but to do that there are some safety and infrastructural challenges to be dealt with first – and that is why I need your help!
