River dwellers and researchers declare 'popular listing' of Pedral do Lourenço, an area threatened by the creation of a waterway on the Tocantins River, in Pará

Communities try to protect the Pedral do Lourenço area, on the Tocantins River The dispute over the future of Pedral do Lourenço, on the Tocantins River, in Itupiranga, in the southeast of Pará, gained a new chapter with the mobilization of traditional communities, scientists and social movements. In a protest that brought together around 200 people this Thursday (20), including artisanal fishermen, riverside dwellers and family farmers. They carried out a boat raid and a symbolic “popular landmark” of the area. According to residents, the objective of the action was to protect the space against the demolition works planned by the federal government. In the coming days, a formal request for recognition of the stone as a historical, archaeological, landscape and ethnographic heritage will be delivered to the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan). The impasse around the area has been going on for almost 12 years. On the one hand, local populations and researchers fight for the socio-environmental preservation of the river; on the other, the infrastructure sector defends the expansion of navigability to boost cargo transport. Pedral do Lourenço, stretch in Itupiranga, southeast of Pará. Taymã Carneiro / g1 Biodiversity at risk Pedral do Lourenço, also known as Pedral do Lourenção, is a unique stretch of approximately 43 kilometers of the Tocantins River, characterized by a formation of rapids, channels, beaches, wells and different depths. Recent scientific studies, conducted by teams from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) and the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, reinforce the ecological importance of the site. Field research identified endangered species of fish and aquatic animals that depend exclusively on the rocky ecosystem to feed and reproduce. For experts, the integrity of these stone structures is vital for maintaining the biodiversity of the entire Tocantins ecosystem. In addition to the environmental factor, there is a strong social concern. In Vila Santa Terezinha do Tauiry, a community located at the starting point of the rock, around 130 families live. The subsistence of the vast majority of these residents depends directly on artisanal fishing carried out in those waters. The rock collapse project Despite local resistance, the plan to make the Tocantins River waterway viable remains underway. The federal government's project envisages the opening of a navigation channel that allows the passage of large cargo trains, transporting mainly grains and ores, even during periods of severe drought. To facilitate vessel traffic, the work involves rock collapse, a process that consists of the wear and tear of rocks through underground blasting. The installation license currently granted authorizes intervention in a 35-kilometer stretch of the river, located between Vila Santa Terezinha do Tauiry and Ilha do Bogéa. According to the planned schedule, the expectation is that the use of explosives in the region will begin in 2027.