Culturally significant fisheries: keystones for management of freshwater social-ecological systems
Date
2016
Authors
Noble, Mae
Duncan, Phil
Perry, Darren
Prosper, Kerry
Rose, Denis
Schnierer, Stephan
Tipa, Gail
Williams, Erica
Woods, Rene
Pittock, James
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Volume Title
Publisher
Resilience Alliance
Abstract
Indigenous peoples of North America, Australia, and New Zealand have a long tradition of harvesting freshwater
animals. Over generations of reliance and subsistence harvesting, Indigenous peoples have acquired a profound understanding of these
freshwater animals and ecosystems that have become embedded within their cultural identity. We have identified trans-Pacific parallels
in the cultural significance of several freshwater animal groups, such as eels, other finfish, bivalves, and crayfish, to Indigenous peoples
and their understanding and respect for the freshwater ecosystems on which their community survival depends. In recognizing such
cultural connections, we found that non-Indigenous peoples can appreciate the deep significance of freshwater animals to Indigenous
peoples and integrate Indigenous stewardship and Indigenous ecological knowledge into effective comanagement strategies for
sustainable freshwater fisheries, such as Indigenous rangers, research partnerships, and Indigenous Protected Areas. Given that many
of these culturally significant freshwater species also play key ecological roles in freshwater ecosystems, their recognition and
prioritization in management and monitoring approaches should help sustain the health and well-being of both the social and ecological
components of freshwater ecosystems.
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Ecology and Society
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Journal article
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Open Access
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