Traditional Boatbuilding Knowledge and Forest Resource Use in Babitonga Bay, Southern Brazil

Abstract Traditional boatbuilding links ecological knowledge, craftsmanship, and coastal livelihoods. However, the processes influencing this practice remain poorly understood in southern Brazil. We investigated how timber access, knowledge of timber selection, and intergenerational transmission interact in Babitonga Bay. From October 2024 to June 2025, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with 23 participants. Free-list and socioeconomic summaries utilized the full sample, while practice-based analyses focused on 15 participants actively involved in boat construction and repair. Combining thematic content analysis with participant-level descriptive summaries, we found that 80.0% of active builders (12 of 15) identified at least one technological timber-selection criterion, 86.7% (13) noted at least one access-related criterion, and 66.7% (10) recognized both. Evidence of both decline and continuity existed: 66.7% (10) described decline processes, 86.7% (13) showed signs of continuity, and 60.0% (9) exhibited both. All participants were men, with learning occurring through family and community networks. Changes in the craft were linked to restricted or uncertain timber access, reliance on commercial materials, substitution of materials, and shifting livelihoods. Although these accounts do not directly assess forest health or timber supply chains, they illustrate how technical knowledge, resource access, and livelihood opportunities jointly influence cultural continuity. The Babitonga Bay case reveals a non-uniform transition, with simultaneous knowledge loss and adaptive resilience.