This work aims to know the memories of fishermen and fisherwomen who act in the Tocantins
River, understanding their life trajectories and the relationships and meanings established in
their experiences with the fishing craft. This study uses a qualitative approach focused on the
methodology of Oral History. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic of the new
coronavirus Sars-Cov-2, methodological adaptations were necessary to carry out the research,
and occurred through digital communication applications such as whatsapp and google Mmeet.
Following the methodology of Oral History, the scripts were built to obtain information that
would help in understanding the importance of fishing in the Tocantins River, the different
meanings and representations that this activity acquires in the memories of fishermen and
fisherwomen, and, consequently, the different identities that are built around and with the
Tocantins River. For these analyses, the perspective of Cultural History and the History of
Present Time were used as theoretical input. Five interviews with fishermen who work in the
region of Tocantinópolis and are linked to Colônia de Pescadores Z-7 are analyzed. The study
made it possible to understand that the fishing profession is still apprehended in childhood,
usually with family members, being a learning passed from generation to generation. In
addition, it was found that parents are not interested in encouraging their children to follow the
same profession, highlighting that fishing has become a very difficult form of survival, not
being their desire for life for their children. This change in the fishing life in Tocantinópolis is
attributed to the construction of the Hydroelectric in Estreito- MA which caused changes in the
natural cycles of the waters of Rio, leading to fish shortages and causing a very large impact on
income generation and the lives of fishermen and fisherwomen. This study aims to contribute
to the construction and preservation of the memory of Tocantinópolis, in particular, for
reflections on the importance of the Tocantins River for those who live in its surroundings and
for the valorization of the memories and actions of the fishermen and fisherwomen of the region
researched.
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