Since 2003 environmental and research groups have been warning about the consequences of oil and natural gas exploration on the biodiversity conservation area of the Abrolhos Marine National Park. The SOS Abrolhos Coalition was funded in order to bring together several NGOs, environmental networks, social movements and research groups.

Since 2004, the Municipal Council of environmental protection of Caravelas (Condema), in the State of Bahia, has been receiving reports of deforestation of mangroves and concerns about possible shrimp breeding in captivity in the region. Some measures have been therefore adopted, such as restricting this activity in natural sanctuaries.

However, non-local workers fishing activities affected local communities, who started mobilizing in Caravelas and Nova Vicosa; they demanded the creation of an Extractivist Reserve (Resex), called Cassurub, which would guarantee them livelihoods, based on shellfish collection and small-scale fishing. Since then, the Condema began to ask the Environmental Resource Center of Bahia (CRA) now Environmental Institute (IMA)-, agency responsible for environmental permitting in the State, information on possible projects for shrimp farming.

In October 2004, Coopex, subsidiary of the Portuguese group Lusomar, associated with 26 Brazilian investors, asked to the Environmental Resource Center of Bahia (CRA - now Environmental Institute IMA) to give license for a shrimp farm in Caravelas of 1500 hectares. The project area, however, was exactely the same of Cassurub extractive reserve.

The conflict intensified in 2005, bringing together communities of fishermen, shellfish and crab pickers, environmental organizations and social movements against the development of shrimp cultivation of Coopex.

As a result of popular pressure, on June 5, 2009, the federal Government published a decree of President Lula creating the Resex Cassurub, in an area of 100 thousand hectares between Caravelas and Nova Vicosa.