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Priest Turns Fearsome Fish into Local Development Aid
3 Oct
Summary
- A priest organized the preservation and export of 12,000 piranhas.
- Proceeds funded infrastructure like bridges, a dock, and an airstrip.
- The initiative also led to the creation of a regional museum.
In the 1970s, Italian Jesuit priest Giovanni Gallo arrived on Brazil's Marajó Island, a region then characterized by isolation and a lack of basic infrastructure. He devised an innovative solution to the community's economic challenges by utilizing the abundant piranha population. Gallo established a laboratory where local women were trained in preserving the fish. This unusual venture saw the export of about 12,000 piranhas, primarily to Europe, generating significant income. These proceeds were instrumental in funding essential community projects. Among the achievements were 350 meters of wooden bridges, a community dock, a flood-resistant cemetery, and an 800-meter airstrip, vastly improving local living conditions. Beyond economic development, Gallo also initiated the Museu do Marajó, a museum dedicated to the region's rich history and culture. Starting informally in 1972, the museum was officially established in 1981 and moved to Cachoeira do Arari in 1983, opening to the public in December 1984. Gallo, who passed away in 2003, dedicated roughly three decades to Marajó, contributing to community development, archaeology, and museology.
