Trindade - Fishermen - EXT #14

Marco Antonio Perna - Brasil

The caiçara fishing colony of Trindade, located in the municipality of Paraty (Rio de Janeiro - Brazil), practices floating net fishing in shallow waters a few meters from the coast, which involves nets anchored to the seabed and marked by buoys. These can be maintained indefinitely and form corridors and chambers, leading the fish to the final retention compartment.

I had the opportunity to take photographs in December 2025 while accompanying the fishermen on their motorboat, the Brokador. They also use a rowboat as support, which, because it is made of fiberglass, is tied to a buoy anchored to the floating fence, so it does not need to be brought back to the beach after use. Fishing basically consists of pulling the net and collecting the fish caught in it.

I was able to take pictures at two different nets, the first one very close to Ranchos beach (which is the name of the main beach in Trindade) and the second one after Pedra Cabeça do Índio, also very close to the coast and already in the waters of the state of São Paulo.

The activity attracts seabirds such as the Atobá and the Fragata, called Carapirá in the region, which follow the boat.

www.marcoantonioperna.com.br

Trindade is a caiçara village located in the municipality of Paraty, on the southern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, near the border with São Paulo. Located in an environmental preservation area and surrounded by remnants of Atlantic Forest, the locality has historically established itself as a traditional community of artisanal fishermen.

The occupation of the region dates back to the colonial period, when the coast of Paraty was part of strategic maritime routes linked to the gold cycle and, later, to the transport of agricultural production. However, Trindade remained relatively isolated for centuries, structuring itself as a caiçara nucleus based on fishing, subsistence agriculture, and extractivism. Its configuration as an organized village was consolidated between the 19th and early 20th centuries, preserving traditional ways of life and strong community ties.

From the 1970s onwards, Trindade gained national prominence due to land conflicts involving real estate projects and the resistance of local residents, who mobilized support from social and environmental movements to ensure the community's permanence. This process was decisive for the consolidation of local identity and for the subsequent integration of the area into the Serra da Bocaina National Park, a conservation unit created in 1971.

The coastline of Trindade is marked by jagged coves, rocky cliffs, and open waters facing the South Atlantic, very close to the coastal border with the state of São Paulo, in the region of Ubatuba. This geographical condition reinforces its borderline character, both culturally and territorially. Among the most emblematic natural elements is the rock formation known as Pedra da Cabeça do Índio (Indian Head Rock), so named because, when viewed from a certain angle—especially from the sea or parts of the beach—its outline resembles the profile of a reclining indigenous face, with features such as the forehead, nose, and chin outlined by natural erosion. The name reflects the popular tradition of associating landscape forms with human figures, reinforcing the symbolic imagery of the region.

Today, Trindade combines the characteristics of a traditional village with those of an alternative tourist destination. Its beaches—such as Praia do Meio, Praia dos Ranchos, and Praia do Cachadaço—are renowned for their environmental preservation, open sea, and landscapes of rocky cliffs and dense vegetation. The local economy, once centered almost exclusively on artisanal fishing, has come to incorporate tourism as its predominant activity, while maintaining caiçara cultural traits in its cuisine, religious festivals, and community organization.

Trindade is therefore characterized by a historical tension between isolation and openness, tradition and tourism, establishing itself as one of the most emblematic coastal centers in southern Rio de Janeiro state, where natural landscape, social memory, and cultural identity remain strongly intertwined.

EXT photo magazine #14

Photos at Marco Antonio Perna website.

Marco Antonio Perna on EXT.