CULTURAL SEAFOOD MANAGEMENT
Islay D. Marsden
School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand
Definition
Cultural seafood management is seafood management
based on customary (traditional) fishing rights and the
integration of traditional knowledge in estuarine and
coastal management.
Introduction
In most countries artisanal fisheries have existed for centuries with fishers using traditional and local knowledge in
community or citizen-based management systems. While
these systems are usually small scale, there is increasing
interest in expanding or integrating these systems into
larger and more complex systems (Reis and D’Incao,
2000). This need is driven by the knowledge that these
habitats have changed and that seafood resources are limited. Increasingly there is recognition that traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) held by indigenous
communities can play a valuable role in the management
of natural resources including fisheries (Mathew, 2011).
Practical skills, wisdom, and knowledge accumulated
over successive generations can contribute to knowledge
about species, their distributions, life histories, and behavior (Butler et al., 2012).
Throughout the world, estuaries are used for obtaining
seafood and, when traditional knowledge is used with
Western science and management knowledge (SMK),
there are opportunities for generating a diversity of information for problem solving. Inshore marine fisheries such
as those found in estuaries are often small; however, they
may involve multiple species that are taken for subsistence. For example, in the islands of Torres Strait between
Queensland and Papua New Guinea, people have high
consumption of seafood based on up to 350 species, one
of the highest numbers per capita in the world.
There are various levels of governance for seafood
resources, and increasingly these are shared with government agencies. Management systems are generally region
specific and may be driven by cultural keystone species.
Cultural values, co-management, and power sharing of
estuarine resources within a legislative framework occur
in many countries, the first nation groups in North America, Melanesia, northern Australia, and New Zealand. The
focus here is to use selective examples to illustrate the use
of integrated management systems and their effectiveness
in protecting seafood resources for future generations.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and
Western Science and Management Knowledge
(SMK)
Indigenous knowledge is used as a general term when
describing knowledge systems of indigenous peoples,
whereas traditional ecological knowledge is defined by
Berkes (2003) as “a cumulative body of knowledge, practice and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed
down through generations by cultural transmission.” In
a recent review, Thornton and Scheer (2012) use the term
local and traditional ecological knowledge (LTK) which is
described as a body of knowledge and not just a collection
of facts. This knowledge is highly valued and has been used
politically and strategically for territorial claims in many
places including Oceania, North America, Central America,
South Asia, and Southeast Asia. TEK/LTK is a knowledgepractice-belief complex, which is operated in many small
fishing communities and where the fishery depends mainly
on local knowledge of species rather than management systems, institutions, or world views. Knowledge can be
grouped into nine cultural domains, as used by the Torres
Strait islanders who occupy more than 150 islands between
Queensland, Australia, and Western Province, PNG (Smyth
et al., 2006, cited in Butler et al., 2012). Cultural domains
include food source and skills associated with gathering,
how it is used, including trade, environmental knowledge
associated with collecting the food and “totem,” the connection to various groups and mythological aspects, ceremony,
beliefs, and art.
In contrast, the Western science management knowledge base (SMK) is usually underpinned by federal, state
laws, and regulations implemented by agencies and
departments. In most countries the responsibility for the
marine and estuarine environment is split between multiple government agencies (with responsibilities defined
by law) and operated by defense forces, coast guards,
wildlife agencies, environmental protection agencies,
health departments, fisheries, local authorities, and others.
The areas under their control are large, and the managements driven by economic gains.
There are obvious differences in the form of the knowledge base resulting from SMK, which consists of
published reports, qualitative analyses, and sharing of
information, compared with TEK, where the information
is transmitted orally and often only within families. Jokiel
et al. (2011) compared major aspects of the traditional and
Western knowledge systems for inshore reefs in Hawaii
and listed other major differences including authority,
enforcement, and resource monitoring.
Cultural keystone species
Ecologists recognize that some species have a key role in
the structure and functioning of ecosystems and are essential in maintaining ecological balance. Similarly, in many
societies, plants and animals can shape the cultural identity of a people. Several species together play a social role
by interacting with each other forming a cultural grouping
similar to a keystone guild. Cultural keystone species
include green turtles and dugong for fishers from developing regions of Melanesia (Garibaldi and Turner, 2004).
Their importance is reflected in the fundamental roles
these species play in diet, materials, medicine, and/or
CULTURAL SEAFOOD MANAGEMENT
165
Islay D. Marsden
School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand
Definition
Cultural seafood management is seafood management
based on customary (traditional) fishing rights and the
integration of traditional knowledge in estuarine and
coastal management.
Introduction
In most countries artisanal fisheries have existed for centuries with fishers using traditional and local knowledge in
community or citizen-based management systems. While
these systems are usually small scale, there is increasing
interest in expanding or integrating these systems into
larger and more complex systems (Reis and D’Incao,
2000). This need is driven by the knowledge that these
habitats have changed and that seafood resources are limited. Increasingly there is recognition that traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) held by indigenous
communities can play a valuable role in the management
of natural resources including fisheries (Mathew, 2011).
Practical skills, wisdom, and knowledge accumulated
over successive generations can contribute to knowledge
about species, their distributions, life histories, and behavior (Butler et al., 2012).
Throughout the world, estuaries are used for obtaining
seafood and, when traditional knowledge is used with
Western science and management knowledge (SMK),
there are opportunities for generating a diversity of information for problem solving. Inshore marine fisheries such
as those found in estuaries are often small; however, they
may involve multiple species that are taken for subsistence. For example, in the islands of Torres Strait between
Queensland and Papua New Guinea, people have high
consumption of seafood based on up to 350 species, one
of the highest numbers per capita in the world.
There are various levels of governance for seafood
resources, and increasingly these are shared with government agencies. Management systems are generally region
specific and may be driven by cultural keystone species.
Cultural values, co-management, and power sharing of
estuarine resources within a legislative framework occur
in many countries, the first nation groups in North America, Melanesia, northern Australia, and New Zealand. The
focus here is to use selective examples to illustrate the use
of integrated management systems and their effectiveness
in protecting seafood resources for future generations.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and
Western Science and Management Knowledge
(SMK)
Indigenous knowledge is used as a general term when
describing knowledge systems of indigenous peoples,
whereas traditional ecological knowledge is defined by
Berkes (2003) as “a cumulative body of knowledge, practice and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed
down through generations by cultural transmission.” In
a recent review, Thornton and Scheer (2012) use the term
local and traditional ecological knowledge (LTK) which is
described as a body of knowledge and not just a collection
of facts. This knowledge is highly valued and has been used
politically and strategically for territorial claims in many
places including Oceania, North America, Central America,
South Asia, and Southeast Asia. TEK/LTK is a knowledgepractice-belief complex, which is operated in many small
fishing communities and where the fishery depends mainly
on local knowledge of species rather than management systems, institutions, or world views. Knowledge can be
grouped into nine cultural domains, as used by the Torres
Strait islanders who occupy more than 150 islands between
Queensland, Australia, and Western Province, PNG (Smyth
et al., 2006, cited in Butler et al., 2012). Cultural domains
include food source and skills associated with gathering,
how it is used, including trade, environmental knowledge
associated with collecting the food and “totem,” the connection to various groups and mythological aspects, ceremony,
beliefs, and art.
In contrast, the Western science management knowledge base (SMK) is usually underpinned by federal, state
laws, and regulations implemented by agencies and
departments. In most countries the responsibility for the
marine and estuarine environment is split between multiple government agencies (with responsibilities defined
by law) and operated by defense forces, coast guards,
wildlife agencies, environmental protection agencies,
health departments, fisheries, local authorities, and others.
The areas under their control are large, and the managements driven by economic gains.
There are obvious differences in the form of the knowledge base resulting from SMK, which consists of
published reports, qualitative analyses, and sharing of
information, compared with TEK, where the information
is transmitted orally and often only within families. Jokiel
et al. (2011) compared major aspects of the traditional and
Western knowledge systems for inshore reefs in Hawaii
and listed other major differences including authority,
enforcement, and resource monitoring.
Cultural keystone species
Ecologists recognize that some species have a key role in
the structure and functioning of ecosystems and are essential in maintaining ecological balance. Similarly, in many
societies, plants and animals can shape the cultural identity of a people. Several species together play a social role
by interacting with each other forming a cultural grouping
similar to a keystone guild. Cultural keystone species
include green turtles and dugong for fishers from developing regions of Melanesia (Garibaldi and Turner, 2004).
Their importance is reflected in the fundamental roles
these species play in diet, materials, medicine, and/or
CULTURAL SEAFOOD MANAGEMENT
165