A Relação dos humanos e não-humanos na rede pesqueira da vila do Treme, em Bragança, Pará, na perspectiva da teoria ator-rede (ANT) de Latour

Abstract

The emergence of knowledge is intrinsically linked to the evolution of humanity and the desire to understand and interpret the world. Knowledge has developed gradually over time, permeating various theories that sought to define its complex construction and appropriation. In contrast to positivist theory and methods, and embedded in the anthropocentrism of Classical Sociology, which understands society based on the epistemology of the separation of the terms environment and society, nature and culture, science and humanity, among other dichotomies of modernity, Bruno Latour proposes a new constitution, an epistemology of the collective of humans and nonhumans, in which there are no separations, but rather a complex network of actors that connect and interact mutually, co-evolving through the agencies of groupings. This work aims to analyze the relationship between humans and nonhumans in the Vila do Treme fishing network, from the perspective of Latour's Actor-Network Theory. The research is based on the premise that artisanal fishing practices cannot be understood solely from a technical or economic perspective, but rather as a complex and dynamic network composed of human and non-human actors, which reconfigure themselves over time in response to socio-environmental, technological, and political transformations. The research investigates the interactions between humans and non-humans involved in artisanal fishing, considering the concepts of symmetry, controversies, and mobility of associations. The methodology used a mixed method with an emphasis on a qualitative approach, with participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted with 50 actors. Questions were addressed regarding the types of fishing practiced, production, the relationship with the environment, current challenges, and the introduction of industrialized materials into production processes between November 2024 and April 2025. Three main fishing methods were identified: corral, net, and hook. The results indicate that net fishing constitutes a dynamic and changing collective, based on a broad articulation between human and non-human collectives, historically constructed from intimate relationships with local cosmology, ancestral technologies, and traditional know-how. It was also found that the introduction of industrialized elements did not disrupt traditional knowledge, but was incorporated in an adaptive and sustainable manner, demonstrating the community's ability to integrate new groups without compromising environmental balance. ANT and the principles of Political Ecology proved effective in understanding the complexity of the socio-environmental relationships that sustain fishing practices in the region.