Brazilian fishermen turn to mobile apps to combat the scourge of pollution August 20, 2024

Guanabara Bay, a natural harbor of some 400 square kilometers, faces pollution not only from visiting ships and oil rig accidents, but also from runoff from cities and old ships abandoned in its waters (Pablo PORCIUNCULA)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Brazilian fishermen turn to mobile apps to combat the scourge of pollution

Florian PLAUCHEUR

Brazilian activist and fisherman Alexandre Anderson uses one hand to steer his boat and the other to film an oil slick spreading across Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro.

He will upload the video to an app developed to expose the environmental damage in the iconic bay, which is crucial for tourism and the fishing industry, but plagued by oil spills, chemicals and untreated wastewater.

Guanabara Bay, a natural harbor of some 400 square kilometers, faces pollution not only from visiting ships and oil rig accidents, but also from old ships abandoned in its waters and runoff from cities.

Frustrated by what they see as a lack of official response, the bay's fishermen decided to take matters into their own hands and, with the support of the non-governmental organization 350.org, developed an app for them.

“We used to take pictures with our cell phone or a camera,” but without exact geolocation data, it was of little use, Anderson - president of the bay's Ahomar fishermen's association - told AFP while filming a steady stream of wastewater being dumped from a ship.

The app, however, “gives me accurate data” to make an anonymous complaint.

The information is verified by a moderator and published on a dedicated website, after which it is reported to the authorities, such as the Ibama environmental regulatory body or the Brazilian Navy, which patrols the bay.

Every time he monitors the dark waters for just a few hours, Anderson finds several illegal spills, he says.

Three weeks after the app was launched on July 26, 20 complaints have been posted on the web, and more than 100 others are being analyzed, according to the administrators.

- There are practically no more sea bass or hake

“The inspection bodies have always claimed that they didn't have the tools to deal with the complaints,” said Paulo Barone, who belongs to another local fishermen's association.

But with this new app, he said, the authorities “can no longer deny or ignore” complaints.

For 350.org's coordinator in Brazil, Luiz Afonso Rosário, artisanal fishermen have been on the “front line” for a long time.

“Oil and gas companies, in addition to polluting the waters that are a source of food, income and leisure for thousands of families, are aggravating the climate crisis... by supplying fossil fuels that are the main cause of global warming,” he said.

Fishermen were particularly hard hit by a spill in 2000, when 1.3 million liters of oil were dumped into the bay by a Petrobras refinery.

“That put an end to fishing. You practically can't find sea bass (or) hake anymore,” said Roberto Marques Resende, who still fishes in the region.

For some, the battle goes beyond subsistence.

Anderson, who has been fighting the petrochemical industry for years, says he has been the target of threats and attacks for years and hopes the app will help ensure that “those responsible are really punished”.

“Only then will we solve these problems,” he said.

fp-mel/app/mlr/sst