The fishing community of Icapuí (CE) is preparing to celebrate the V Fishing Week, from November 22 to 29. Sponsored by Aliança Energia, through the Culture Incentive Law, and carried out by the Ibitutaba Residents’ Association, the event should bring together about 20 thousand people including fishermen, artisans, students and tourists, in a program that values tradition and local culture.
During the festive days, the city will live its maritime identity intensely. Fishermen have already started building boats, in a collective movement that involves entire families. The program includes regattas, conversation circles, ecological scavenger hunts, cast net and shellfish gatherer tournaments, gastronomic fair and cultural presentations. The closing will be marked by the Regatta of the Navigators, followed by an award ceremony and musical attraction.
The sponsorship of Aliança Energia has been decisive for the rescue of tradition. “The Fishing Week is a cultural symbol of Icapuí. Sponsoring this event is to ensure that traditional knowledge remains alive and that the community is proud of its history,” said Maria Rodrigues, the company’s Community Relations Analyst.
Fisherman Elifelete da Silva, known as Felinho Tur, who builds his boat to compete in the regatta, highlighted: “talking about sailing boats, it portrays a lot of our ancestors, our origin, and I can even say our sustainability. That’s in my DNA, unlike the motorized boat.”
The tradition of artisanal boats in Redonda dates back to the 1960s, when artisanal fishing, especially lobster, began to sustain the community. Despite the arrival of motorized boats in the 1970s, high maintenance and fuel costs made many fishermen return to simple, handmade, sailing boats. These dinghies represent not only a means of work, but also a symbol of resistance and cultural identity, passed down from parents to children in shipyards and at sea.
In addition to preserving traditional knowledge, the event generates important social and economic impacts: it fosters tourism, strengthens the local economy, promotes social inclusion of fishermen and artisans and stimulates the interest of new generations in keeping the tradition alive. In Redonda, where fishing is part of everyday life, Fishing Week transforms routine into celebration, making maritime culture a living heritage, in line with SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.
