adding to the struggle is the increasing, and unequal, competition from the industrial fishing sector, which is supported by the government, and making life increasingly difficult for artisanal fishermen. in response to this, the artisanal fishermen formed ahomar (association of seamen and sea-women of guanabara bay) in 2009 to protect their rights.

traditional fishermen are a tight-knit community these days. they are organized into small neighborhoods called colônias de pescadores (fishermen's colonies), normally followed by a z (zone) and a number delineating which area they live in - as such, colônia de pescadores z-10 is located on governador island in guanabara bay.