Paper short abstract:

the paper explore the ways oceanic gears are created and conceived in artisanal fishing activities in the Comoros. The legacy of the «Japawa» allows us to think of oceanic gears as media “on-the-move” capable of structuring ecological relations, triggering social changes and feeding imaginaries.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper I explore the ways oceanic gears are created and conceived in artisanal fishing activities in the Comoros, examining how these gears shape and are shaped by labor contingencies. Specifically, I focus on the role played by specific boats, known as Japawa, in fostering trust in technical/technological equipment and restructuring relationships with the ocean and non-human actors.

During the 1980s, the economization of the Indian Ocean reached the Comoros archipelago, supported by Japanese cooperation. This led to the introduction of Japawa—9-meter motorboats designed to increase fishing efficiency. However, these boats unexpectedly became instrumental in establishing a new sea turtle trade. The intensive exploitation ensured by this new oceanic gear was at the basis of a rethinking of the ecological engagement with the ocean, from an economic and a socio-cultural perspective. Due to the conflicts arising from the overuse of marine resources, the increasing ecological attention, but especially the interruption of international aid, the Japawa were subsequently dismantled. Nevertheless, they traced a deep wake in the ways of perceiving, creating, and adapting technical gears; active and evolving agents in a more-than-human scenario.

In a context marked by material precariousness, oceanic gears emerge from the intertwining of maritime ecological knowledge and discarded materials from which “shifting” assemblages arise, ensuring access to the ocean world and fueling economic expectations.

The legacy of the Japawa allows us to think of oceanic gears as media “on-the-move” capable of structuring ecological relations, triggering social changes, and feeding future and past imaginaries.