A November oil spill in Brazil has become the country’s worst marine environmental disaster. Now, the disaster has begun to impact the finances of the families in the northeastern region of the country. After collecting more than 5 thousand tons of oil from the Brazilian coast, people’s willingness to consume fish and other marine food lowered considerably. Environmental groups estimate that in the state of Pernambuco alone, sales of clams, crab and oysters fell by 90%, while fish sales fell by 70%.

Consequently, many fishermen families lost their main source of income. To ease the situation, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Brazil activated the emergency response plan and released donations that added up to more than $19,000USD (80 thousand Brazilian reals). The amount benefitted more than 170 families, which received nearly $115USD (450 Brazilian reals) each, on December 9.

ADRA Brazil’s initiative seeks to meet the basic needs of the fishermen families that, due to the environmental disaster, lost their main source of income and haven’t received government help yet.

“It was promised, but we didn’t receive anything yet. If it wasn’t for this help, it would be very difficult to even celebrate Christmas,” says Débora Gomes, matriarch of a family of more than 10 fishermen. They live in Ilha de Deus, one of Recife’s neighborhoods which used to receive tourists seeking fish and sururu, mainly.

According to Erinaldo Silva, ADRA-Northeast director, this help is an emergency response to the problem. “These fishermen had a normal life before the tragedy. ADRA’s goal is to help those families to resume the normal course of their lives. The amount given to them will make possible to buy items in the market that were missing at home,” he explains.

The register of fishermen was brokered by leaders of the Colony of Fishermen. To make a donation for emergency projects for ADRA-Northeast, click here.