De pescadores a beneficiários: (re)configurações dos mecanismos e categorias de identificação das populações extrativistas em Reservas Extrativistas Marinhas

This article offers a reflection on the criteria used to define artisanal fishermen who qualify as “beneficiary populations” for the management actions of Marine Extractivist Reserves, based on experiences observed in two areas designated as such in the State of Rio de Janeiro: at Arraial do Cabo Resex-mar and Itaipu. The former was created in 1997, at the federal level, and is currently managed by the Instituto Chico Mendes de conservação da Biodiversidade, which published an ordinance in 2017 establishing three categories of “beneficiary populations.” In Itaipu, located in the oceanic region of the Municipality of Niterói, the Resex was declared in 2013 by the state government after a long discussion process that started at the federal level. The beneficiary population was recognized ten years after its creation through the establishment of objective criteria and a nominal list published by the Instituto Estadual do Ambiente. Data was collected through fieldwork and bibliographical research, including normative instruments and ethnographic articles published. Based on the conflicts observed in each context, I aim to understand how such definitions impact the management conducted by government agencies, considering the affected rights and interests, in order to contribute to the discussion on the implementation processes of Reservas Extrativistas, understood as a policy created by the Forest People.