Interview Series: Voices from the Mangrove
The interviews presented here are an essential component of Sacrificial Landscapes, offering a window into the lived realities and speculative futures that shape these contested environments. Through the voices of fishermen, reforestation agents, and community members, these conversations weave together personal narratives and historical memories, painting both real and fictional perspectives of the mangrove’s complex transformation. This series not only captures the human stories behind the project’s research but also lays the groundwork for future dialogues, continuing to develop Sacrificial Landscapes as a dynamic, evolving exploration of extractivism and renewal. By engaging directly with the people who navigate these landscapes daily, we confront the tangible impacts of environmental change while reimagining the possibilities for what these territories might yet become.
Humberto Vera: A Captain’s Reflection
With over four decades navigating the shifting waters of Ecuador’s mangrove basin, Humberto Vera’s story unfolds as a living testimony to the rapid transformations of these fragile ecosystems. From the days of abundant mangroves to the onset of industrial shrimp farming, Humberto offers a generational perspective on loss, adaptation, and the fragile hope for renewal. His experiences speak to the delicate balance between livelihood and conservation, and the irreversible impact of human intervention on these once-thriving landscapes.
The Ramirez Brothers: The Cost of Tradition
Oscar and Roberto Ramirez, brothers born into a lineage of crab harvesters, share a poignant narrative that oscillates between survival and heritage. They recount the struggles of continuing a way of life that has endured for generations, now under threat from environmental degradation and industrial encroachment. Their voices capture the challenges faced by small-scale fishermen navigating a shrinking landscape, torn between tradition and the pressing need to protect the very ecosystems that sustain them.
Jose Carlos Alvarado: Reforestation Agent #068
Jose Carlos Alvarado represents the new generation of ecological stewards, tasked with reviving the mangroves that were once clear-cut to make way for shrimp farming. As a mangrove reforestation agent, his role symbolizes a shift towards regeneration and ecological awareness. Yet, his narrative is not without irony—working to undo the damage left by his predecessors, Jose’s story highlights the complexity of restoration, where technology and traditional knowledge intersect in the face of a rapidly changing environment.