BARRA DO MAMANGUAPE — Brazil. It’s hard to imagine today, but manatees were once hunted and eaten. These gentle sea mammals were considered a delicacy in Brazil, with their meat consumed by local fishermen and their skin and oil exported to Europe during colonial times. This exploitation pushed the species to the brink of extinction. Fortunately, those days are long gone. In Barra do Mamanguape—a fishing community on Brazil’s northeastern coast—manatees have gone from being a source of food to beloved local icons. Barra is an estuary where river and sea meet, creating warm, calm waters that are perfect not just for the people who live there, but also for a thriving manatee population. Until the 1980s, little was known about these animals. When their conservation status was finally assessed, they were already critically endangered. The urgency to protect this little-understood species sparked a wave of conservation efforts. One such initiative is Viva o Peixe-Boi Marinho (Long Live the Sea Manatee), launched in 2013. The project focused on engaging the local community to end manatee hunting. Conservationists worked side by side with fishermen—both those who had hunted manatees and those who hadn’t—holding talks, joining fishing trips, and building trust. Slowly but surely, perceptions began to shift, turning former hunters into advocates. Today, manatees play a key role in the local economy, drawing eco-tourists and supporting small businesses. The project also rescues and rehabilitates stranded animals and has saved around 60 manatees since the 1990s. Mongabay visited Barra do Mamanguape to…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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