2016-09-272015-02-242016-09-272015-02-24https://ri.ucsal.br/handle/123456730/128This research demonstrates the interaction between the lifestyles of fishermen and the contemporary dynamics of the city Cairu in Bahia and its outlook in the existing development project. The city of Cairu, the only archipelago municipality of Brazil, is located on the east coast of Bahia. It has 26 islands, three of which (Tinharé, Boipeba and Cairu) contain 13 localities, among them Gamboa, Garapuá, Moreré and São Sebastião, where the field work was preformed. The survey results confirm the theoretical perspective that the relationship between rural and urban areas shapes the contemporary dynamics of the city, showing the importance of the populations of these places and their ways of living in the municipal context, forming a complex space. The research extends the discussions about the contribution of fishing to the understanding of the fabric of societies that have a direct relationship with nature in their social and economic practicesAcesso AbertoPesca artesanalCairuSmall-scale fishingMundo rural contemporâneoContemporary rural worldDissertaçãoPlanejamento Urbano e Regional/DemografiaTerritorialização e Desenvolvimento Social