Dona Nira and Senhor Luizinho have been married for twenty-eight years. They live in Praia Grande, a small community of fishermen and cockle pickers in the Northeast of Brazil. They work together in the mangrove and in the beach collecting cockle and other sea creatures to feed their nine kids.

Senhor Luizinho and Dona Nira search the mangrove almost everyday for cockle and crabs. They have been together for twenty-eight years and have nine children. Cockle picking is almost the only economic activity in the village. Conditions are poor and they do not have access to proper tools or safety equipment as they are too costly.

Dona Nira, who was born and bred in the village of Praia Grande, in the Northeast of Brazil, is a mother of nine. Every day she relies on the tide to search the mangrove for cockles. The family consumes most of it and a fraction is sold to a middleman who takes the product to the markets.

Young teenagers collect cockles in the early hours in Praia Grande. Almost everybody helps in the family economy in this small village of fishermen. Children play an essential role in keeping the family fed. Cockle picking is also a social event. It is an opportunity for keeping the village issues up to date.

Dona Nira is a cockle picker mother of nine who works continuously to feed her family. She suffers from terrible back pains as one of the consequence of bending her body for long hours per day to collect the tiny shells.

The mangrove is a hazardous environment. The cockles collected there are more appreciated - and expensive - and can make a reasonable profit for the families. Dona Nira and Senhor Luizinho spend hours searching for the best spots.

The mangrove is a hazardous environment. The cockles collected there are more appreciated - and expensive - and can make a reasonable profit for the families. Dona Nira and Senhor Luizinho spend hours searching for the best spots.

Working in the mangrove is a difficult affair. Spending endless hours in water, risking injury for a small profit is both hard for the body and the spirit. Cockle pickers do nor have access to doctors and lack of basic tools and safety equipment. The job relies entirely on the tides. Sometimes it is not possible to work for days.

The village of Praia Grande is very isolated from the rest of the country but the mangrove, which provides food for entire families, already shows signs of human presence. The island lacks of landfills or any other system to collect or recycle the waste, which often end in the mangrove and beaches.

A young teenager transports the cockle collected in the early hours in Praia Grande. Youngsters often give up education to help their parents.

Praia Grande is located twenty minutes by boat from Salvador - the third largest Brazilian city. However, the island feels very isolated indeed. There are no schools, post offices, police stations or even pharmacies. Prices are quite high as everything has to be shipped from the continent. Senhor Luizinho keeps the family fed by exploring the mangrove as well as fishing - the main economic activity in the island.