Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. Shell collectors search for clams in front of an extration oil well. With an increase of the industrialisation, increased also the level of environmental pollution and environmental related incidents, like in 2008 when a Norwegian ship lost in the waters lubricant oil polluting all the nearby areas. The Bahia’s researcher Neuza Miranda carried on a study that demonstrated the high contamination of Cadmium and Lead coming from the local industries in the children of Ilha de Maré.

Candeias, 2021. A collage from an archival picture of Brazilian President Getulio Vargas at the opening of the construction works of the Landulpho Alves Refinery. The refinery is located in front of the Ilha da Maré and has been responsible of land-grabbing against the local communities that used the mangrove areas to retrieve shellfish, also the industrial complex contributed to the pollution of the waters of the bay.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. Infrared color image of an oil well located on the Island.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2020. Diego, the son of the activist Eliete Paraguassu, shows 2 fished crabs, the main product sold by the Quilombolas. The Ilha da Mare is the home of several Quilombola’s communities that live of fishing. The waters where they fish are polluted with petrochemical residues and other chemical components. On the land of the island is possible to spot places where the oil come out from the ground. Most of the activists of the Island are women and they carry on the unity of the community and the fight for their basic rights.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. A view of the Aratu Port from the Ilha da Maré. The Aratu-Candeias Port that is responsible for the 60% of the cargo ship travelling from and to the Bahia State. With an increase of the industrialisation, increased also the level of environmental pollution and environmental related incidents, like in 2008when a Norwegian ship lost in the waters lubricant oil polluting all the nearby areas.

Ilha Da Maré, Bahia, 2021. Shellfish catchers coming back from the crab hunting in the mangrove fields surrounding the island. The Bahia’s researcher Neuza Miranda carried on a study that demonstrated the high contamination of Cadmium and Lead coming from the local industries in the children of Ilha de Maré.

Aratu, Bahia, 2021. A photo collage of the Aratu Port mixing a today picture of the port deposits with a archival picture shot during the port constructions.

Ilha de Maré., Bahia, 2021. A view of the community of Bananeira, one of the communities belonging to the Quilombo of Ilha de Maré. The Quilombos are Brazilian settlement founded by people of African origin; most of the founders of these communities were escaped slaves. Despite the community of the Ilha de Maré's Quilombo tried to established a dialogue with the Institutions and the Companies to improve the environmental situation, very little has been done to decrease the pollution level or the factors that affect the Community of Ilha de Mare making them suffer of environmental racism.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2020. A group of fisherwomen during a meeting of the Community. The leaders of the Quilombo of Ilha de Maré are mainly women and are the ones that fish and catch seafood. Because of the high petrochemical pollution their still of life has been deeply affected. The Quilombolas claim they are discriminated by environmental racism.

Ilha de Maré, Bahia, 2021. Vultures flying on Ilha da Maré. Most of the part of the Island doesn't have sewers or water system distributing drinking water.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. Raw oil surfacing from the ground of some fields of Ilha da Maré. Between the 70s and the 80s several oil wells were installed on Ilha da Maré, at the time the first oil extracted were discarded lacking in purity, the company responsible for the wells discarded the oil in pits they dig close to the well and then they covered it with soil. The raw oil, which hasn't been absorbed by the soil, is today surfacing. Despite the wells on Ilha de Maré are not extraction any more oil the areas were never reclaimed.

Candeias, Bahia, 2021. A detail from an archival picture of Brazilian President Getulio Vargas showing a hand stained with oil at the opening of the construction works of the Landulpho Alves Refinery. The refinery is located in front of the Ilha da Maré and has been responsible of land-grabbing against the local communities that used the mangrove areas to retrieve shellfish, also the industrial complex contributed to the pollution of the waters of the bay.

Aratu, Bahia, 2021. An Infrared color image of gas deposits of Aratu Port. The Aratu-Candeias Port that is responsible for the 60% of the cargo ship travelling from and to the Bahia State. With an increase of the industrialisation, increased also the level of environmental pollution and environmental related incidents, like in 2008when a Norwegian ship lost in the waters lubricant oil polluting all the nearby areas.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2020. A child from Ilha da Maré plays while searching for seafood. The Ilha da Mare is the home of several Quilombola’s communities that live of fishing. The waters where they fish are polluted with petrochemical residues and other chemical components. On the land of the island is possible to spot places where the oil come out from the ground. Most of the activists of the Island are women and they carry on the unity of the community and the fight for their basic rights.

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Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. A view of the seafront of PAria Grande, one of the communities belonging to the Ilha da Maré's Quilombo. The Quilombos are Brazilian settlement founded by people of African origin; most of the founders of these communities were escaped slaves. Despite the community of the Ilha de Maré's Quilombo tried to established a dialogue with the Institutions and the Companies to improve the environmental situation, very little has been done to decrease the pollution level or the factors that affect the Community of Ilha de Mare making them suffer of environmental racism.

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Candeias, Bahia, 2021. A photo collage of the Candeias refinery mixing a today picture of the port deposits with a archival picture shot during the port constructions.

Ilha de Maré, Bahia, 2021. A view of the mangrove field surrounding the island. Mangrove are essential for the economy of the local communities that live of shellfish hunting in this natural habitat. The industrialisation of the area caused a pollution of the mangrove forest and a reduction of the mangrove area deforested by the building of new industrial complexes.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. Infrared color image of an oil well located on the Island.

Ilha da Maré, Bahia, 2021. A view of the seafront of PAria Grande, one of the communities belonging to the Ilha da Maré's Quilombo. The Quilombos are Brazilian settlement founded by people of African origin; most of the founders of these communities

A story on oil, pollution and racism

Ilha da Maré is a small island located in the Bahia de Todos os Santos in the state of Bahia, located in the northeastern region of Brazil. The communities living on the island are mainly Quilombola’s communities living of fishing and shellfish picking. The Quilombos are settlements founded between the 1500 and the beginning of 1900 by people of African origin; most of the members of these communities are descendants of runaway slaves who formed quilombo settlements. In 1940, oil deposits were discovered in the Bahia de Todos os Santos, the bay were the city of Salvador is located; oil extraction wells were installed in the sea of the Bahia de Todos os Santos, in the Candeia zone and in the Ilha de Maré, most of them are still working or were active until the beginning of 2000. In 1950, located in front of the Ilha de Maré, the Ludulpho Alves-Mataripe refinery were inaugurated. In 1953 the national oil company, Petrobras was founded and in 1967 the Industrial complex of Aratu was built, a commercial port for the exportation of gas and petrochemical products. In 2021 the Mudabala Capital from United Arab Emirates bought the refinery of Mataripe. The Petrochemical Complex of Camaçari and the Aratu Candeias Port is responsible for the 60% of the cargo ship traveling from and to the Bahia State but also, with the refinery and the oil wells, they are responsible of the level of environmental pollution and environmental related incidents. In her studies, the researcher Neuza Miranda has shown the high contamination of Cadmium and Lead coming from the local industries in the children of Ilha de Maré. The Environmental Racism has been theorised between the 1970 and the 1980, its definition has used to describe environmental injustices in a racial contest. The environmental racism takes place when politics decisions related to the environment are taken and, as consequence, generate a racial discrimination or have a negative impact on a specific ethnic/racial specific group of people. The researcher Beatriz Moreira Bispo underline the lack of communication and compromise between the institutions, the company and the local Communities, This lack of communication, mediation and reduction of the environmental impact generate local conflicts. Despite the community of the Ilha de Maré tried to established a dialogue with the Institutions and the Companies to improve the environmental situation, very little has been done to decrease the pollution level or the factors that affect the Community of Ilha de Mare making them suffer of environmental racism. “A Story on Oil, Racism and Pollution” documents the life of the Communities of Ilha da Maré researching the causes and the consequences of pollution and historical facts that create an environmental racism contest.

A story on oil, pollution and racism

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