Exploring diversity in expert knowledge: variation in local ecological knowledge of Alaskan recreational and subsistence fishers

AbstractLocal ecological knowledge (LEK) of resource users is a valuable source of information about environmental trends and conditions. However, many factors influence how people perceive their environment and it may be important to identify sources of variation in LEK when using it to understand ecological change. This study examined variation in LEK arising from differences in people’s experience in the environment. From 2014 to 2016, we conducted 98 semi-structured interviews with subsistence fishers and recreational charter captains in four Alaskan coastal communities to document LEK of seven fish species. Fishers observed declines in fish abundance and body size, though the patterns varied among species, regions, and fishery sectors. Overall, subsistence harvesters provided a longer-term view of abundance changes compared with charter captains. Regression analyses indicated that the extent of people’s fishing areas and their years of fishing experience were relatively important factors in explaining variation in fishers’ perceptions of fish abundance. When taken together, perspectives from fishers in multiple regions and sectors can provide a more complete picture of changes in nearshore fish populations than any source alone. These findings underscore the importance of including people with different types of expertise in local knowledge studies designed to document environmental change.

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Ichthyological ethnoknowledge of the “piabeiros” from the Amazon region, Brazil

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine ◽

10.1186/s13002-021-00468-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel da Silva Ladislau ◽

Maiko Willas Soares Ribeiro ◽

Philip Dalbert da Silva Castro ◽

Jackson Pantoja-Lima ◽

Paulo Henrique Rocha Aride ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Middle Part ◽

Ornamental Fish ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Economic Activities ◽

Negro River ◽

Artisanal Fishers ◽

Ecological Aspects

Abstract Background The capture of ornamental fish is one of the main economic activities of riverine families in the Amazon. However, studies regarding the local ecological knowledge of workers in this activity are still incipient. In view of this, we have studied and explored the local ecological knowledge of artisanal fishers who specialize in the capture of fish for the aquarium trade in the middle part of the Negro River basin and investigated issues related to the ecological aspects of the fish species that are targeted by this trade in the region. Methods Therefore, we conducted semi-structured interviews and applied questionnaires to artisanal fishers of ornamental fish (N = 89), from the municipality of Barcelos, from January to April 2016. Results In total, 41 popular names were cited, which correspond to four ethnocategories and 10 families. The main species were Paracheirodon axelrodi (12.5%), Hemigrammus bleheri (8.3%), Ancistrus dolichopterus (6.4%), Symphysodon discus (5.3%), and Potamotrygon motoro (3.8%). According to the fishers, the species of fish known in the region as “piabas” have a preference for living in clusters (28.9%) and carry out migratory movements (26.1%). The diet of local fish species reported by fisheries is diverse, though mainly based on periphyton (42.2%), and the reproductive cycle directly influenced by the period of flooding of rivers in the region (37.6%) Conclusion Our study revealed that the fishers possess information on the ecological aspects of local ornamental fish species, many of which are consistent with scientific literature. The information presented may assist in the decision-making process for the management of local fishery resources and contribute to the resumption of growth and sustainability in the capture of ornamental fish.

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Local ecological knowledge on the goliath grouper epinephelus itajara (teleostei: serranidae) in southern Brazil

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/s1679-62252006000400008 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 441-450 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Leopoldo Cavaleri Gerhardinger ◽

Rosemeri Carvalho Marenzi ◽

Áthila Andrade Bertoncini ◽

Rodrigo Pereira Medeiros ◽

Maurício Hostim-Silva

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Biological Data ◽

Knowledge System ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Local Conservation ◽

Spawning Aggregations ◽

Long Line ◽

Goliath Grouper

The goliath grouper Epinephelus itajara is a large sized (> 400 kg) and critically endangered marine fish, which is protected in many countries, including Brazil. Through the application of semi-structured interviews, we investigated the local ecological knowledge of seven fishermen specialist on catching E. itajara from the Babitonga bay, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Local long-line fisheries for E. itajara seemed to be a disappearing tradition in the studied site, with a detailed inherent local ecological knowledge system, which is also being lost. Our study also showed that fishermen engaged in recent fisheries, such as spear-fishing, can also possess a detailed local ecological knowledge system. Through the analysis of fishermen local ecological knowledge, several aspects of E. itajara life history were registered. This species is found in the inner and outer Babitonga bay, from saline waters to areas with a large input of freshwater, and inhabits submerged wooden substrates and artificial reefs such as shipwrecks, mooring pillars and cargo containers. It is known to spawn in December and subsequent summer months in the studied area. Spawning aggregations are usually seen in December (during full moon), being also eventually observed in January and February by our informants. While lobsters, spadefishes and octopuses seem to constitute the most important food items of inner bay E. itajara, outer bay individuals may feed on catfishes, crustaceans and other fish species. The goliath grouper is regarded as pacific and curious fish, but frequently display agonistic behavior in the presence of divers. Based on the perception of well experienced spear fishermen, we hypothesize that E. itajara undertakes seasonal migrations from the inner to the outer bay during summer, and that the studied population is suffering from growth over-fishing. Our data provides a practical evidence of how joining scientific and local ecological knowledge will likely benefit E. itajara local conservation and management practices by adding important new biological data into the decision-making process.

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Artisanal fisherfolk’s Local Ecological Knowledge on catfish and fishing legislations: a necessary dialog

Ambiente & sociedade ◽

10.1590/1809-4422asoc20180333r2vu2020l6ao ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 ◽

Author(s):

Sammer Maravilha Chagas Gilio-Dias ◽

Rodrigo Machado ◽

Tatiana Mota Miranda ◽

Rumi Regina Kubo

Keyword(s):

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Rio Grande ◽

Participatory Management ◽

North Coast ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Rio Grande Do Sul ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The North ◽

Establishment Process ◽

Fishing Regulations

Abstract The presence of catfish of the Ariidae family in the list of endangered species of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), as from 2014, led to forbidding fishing two species of this family. Thus, artisanal fisherfolk lost a significant part of their income, causing conflicts between them and the fishing authorities in RS. This work aims mainly to understand the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of the artisanal fisherfolk of the North Coast of RS regarding the ecology and taxonomy of catfish of the Ariidae family, seeking to relate it to the establishment of the fishing regulations in force in the State. 33 semi-structured interviews were made with artisanal fisherfolk. The interviewees perceive differences among the region ethnospecies; hardly ever are they consulted during the fishing regulations establishment process. Considering the aforementioned aspects, the artisanal fisherfolk LEK on catfish can be an important tool in the participatory management of catfish fishing.

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“Wild fish are a blessing”: changes in fishing practices and folk fish cuisine around Laguna Lake, Northern Philippines

Journal of Ethnic Foods ◽

10.1186/s42779-021-00106-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jimlea Nadezhda Mendoza ◽

Giulia Mattalia ◽

Baiba Prūse ◽

Sophia Kochalski ◽

Aimee Ciriaco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Food Sovereignty ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Wild Fish ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Oreochromis Aureus ◽

Personal Consumption ◽

Channa Striata ◽

Laguna Lake

AbstractSeveral coastal communities rely heavily on wild-caught fish for personal consumption and their livelihoods, thus being sensitive to the rapid global change affecting fish availability. However, in the last century, aquaculture has been increasingly adopted. To understand the uses and changes of wild-caught fish, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with fishers of Laguna Lake, Philippines. Fishermen, with up to 60 years’ experience, reported catching 31 fish species as a staple food. The taxa with the greatest variety of food uses were the farmed Oreochromis aureus, and the wild Channa striata and Cyprinus carpio. Fish was boiled, fried, grilled and dried, and over 20 different local dishes were reported. Fishers reported that local communities previously relied more on wild fish, while today a greater proportion of consumed fish comes from aquaculture fish species such as Oreochromis aureus and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis. Wild fish remains a crucial aspect of local gastronomic diversity, underpinning the biodiversity of the Laguna Lake, while also representing an important element for food sovereignty. The study stresses the need to sustain local ecological knowledge to ensure the ecological, social and economic sustainability of the communities.

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Local ecological knowledge is not a useful source of information concerning impacts caused by non-native Nile tilapia on fishery stocks - doi 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i3.18418

Acta Scientiarum Biological Sciences ◽

10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i3.18418 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Jandeson Brasil ◽

Fernando Bastos ◽

José Da Silva Mourão

Keyword(s):

Nile Tilapia ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Source Of Information

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Just Beautiful Green Herbs: Use of Plants in Cultural Practices in Bukovina and Roztochya, Western Ukraine

10.21203/rs.3.rs-110098/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nataliya Stryamets ◽

Michele F. Fontefrancesco ◽

Giulia Mattalia ◽

Julia Prakofjewa ◽

Andrea Pieroni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Historical Data ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Local Environment ◽

Cultivated Plants ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Traditional Environmental Knowledge ◽

Complex Interactions ◽

Western Ukraine

Abstract BackgroundThe use of plants in rituals is a little explored corner of biocultural diversity which has developed through time within a complex socio-ecological system. Indeed, rituals are complex interactions between humans and biodiversity shaped by history, culture and ethnic belonging. Yet, in Western Ukraine, such rituals were forbidden for over 50 years (1939-1991). The current revival of rituals by rural inhabitants is an untapped reservoir of local ecological knowledge. The aim of the present study was to identify the ritual use of wild and cultivated plants in two regions of Western Ukraine, Bukovina and Roztochya, and to compare the findings with historical data. Moreover, we analyzed attitudes toward the ritual use of plants and interactions with the local environment. MethodsWe conducted 31 in-depth semi-structured interviews among Orthodox Hutsuls of Bukovina and 16 interviews among Greek Catholic rural inhabitants of Roztochya during summer 2018 focusing on the ritual uses of plants. ResultsWe documented 26 plant taxa among Bukovinian Hutsuls and 58 plant taxa among inhabitants in Roztockya that were used in 7 religious festivals (of which two were celebrated differently in the two communities). Plants were mainly used in bouquets, but also for decorating churches and houses or in fruit baskets. In both communities, almost 25% of the interviewees could not name the plants they collected for bouquets, but rather referred to “just beautiful green herbs” one can get in meadows, forests and gardens. Comparison with historical data shows a smaller number of taxa currently used (wild taxa have been lost), yet the persistence of 18 taxa used both now and a century ago. ConclusionsContemporary practices concerning the use of plants in Christian rituals in Bukovina and Roztochya can be contextualized in the broader phenomenon of the revitalization of traditional environmental knowledge and practices that have characterized Europe over the past thirty years and in particular Eastern Europe after socialism. The current religious use of plants is to a certain extent the revitalization of historical rituals supported by various internal (knowledge from older generations) and external (church authorities and fashion in the region) drivers. Further research should address changes in regions with longer and more severe prohibition of religious practices and their revival.

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Dining Tables Divided by a Border: The Effect of Socio-Political Scenarios on Local Ecological Knowledge of Romanians Living in Ukrainian and Romanian Bukovina

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10010126 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 126

Author(s):

Nataliya Stryamets ◽

Giulia Mattalia ◽

Andrea Pieroni ◽

Ihor Khomyn ◽

Renata Sõukand

Keyword(s):

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Cultural Economic ◽

Cultivated Plant ◽

Women's Networks

Local cuisine is an important reservoir of local ecological knowledge shaped by a variety of socio-cultural, economic, and ecological factors. The aim was to document and compare the current use of wild and semi-cultivated plant food taxa by Romanians living in Romania and Ukraine. These two groups share similar ecological conditions and historically belonged to the same province, but were divided in the 1940s by the creation of a state border. We conducted 60 semi-structured interviews with rural residents. The contemporary use of 46 taxa (plus 5 cultivated taxa with uncommon uses), belonging to 20 families, for food consumption were recorded. Romanians in Romanian Bukovina used 27 taxa belonging to 15 families, while in Ukraine they used 40 taxa belonging to 18 families. Jams, sarmale, homemade beer, and the homemade alcoholic drink “socată” are used more by Romanians in Southern Bukovina, while tea, soups, and birch sap are used more in Northern Bukovina. We discuss the strong influence of socio-political scenarios on the use of wild food plants. Cross-ethnic marriages, as well as markets and women’s networks, i.e., “neighbors do so”, may have had a great impact on changes in wild food use. In addition, rapid changes in lifestyle (open work market and social migration) are other explanations for the abandonment of wild edible plants.

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Use of local ecological knowledge in the management of algal blooms

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892910000305 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 210-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

THOMAS A. SCHLACHER ◽

STEWART LLOYD ◽

AARON WIEGAND

Keyword(s):

Coastal Waters ◽

Local Governments ◽

Algal Blooms ◽

Cross Validation ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Wind Regimes

SUMMARYMore frequent and severe algal blooms are symptomatic of increasing ecosystem stress in coastal waters. Economic losses typically follow and local governments are forced to ‘manage’ this issue. Because many blooms are not monitored, local ecological knowledge (LEK) and oral history are the only practical tools to obtain data on bloom characteristics and identify their drivers. LEK was applied to outbreaks of brown algae on popular tourist beaches in south-east Queensland (Australia). Structured interviews with local citizens who had a close and frequent connection with the ocean provided 541 bloom records, which showed that blooms are regional (≥400 km) rather than local, and that they are a historical (≥40 years) rather than a recent phenomenon. LEK frequently cited that particular wind regimes coincided with the arrival of blooms, but this could not be verified by statistical cross-validation with empirical data. Harnessing LEK was valuable in engaging citizens, in generating testable hypotheses about plume causes, in providing a previously unrecognized historical perspective and in identifying the correct spatial scale of the issue. Multi-pronged approaches will be most effective in addressing blooms where local mitigation actions are combined with broader regional coastal environmental conservation efforts.

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Local ecological knowledge of fishers about the life cycle and temporal patterns in the migration of mullet (Mugil liza) in Southern Brazil

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-20130156 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 879-890 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Dannieli Firme Herbst ◽

Natalia Hanazaki

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Local Ecological Knowledge ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Rocky Shores ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Santa Catarina ◽

Patos Lagoon ◽

Santa Catarina State

This research investigates local ecological knowledge of fishers in communities along a latitudinal gradient in the coast of the Santa Catarina State, regarding the life cycle of mullets Mugil liza (migration, feeding, and reproductive behavior). Our sampling encompassed eight Santa Catarina coastal cities (nine artisanal fishing sites) and engaged 45 key informants (28- 86 years of age) through semi-structured interviews from August/2011 to March/2012. This fish species feeds and grows in lagoon and estuarine systems, migrating to the sea for reproduction, and spawning. Fishers acknowledged the Patos Lagoon and the Plata River as the main source of mullet schools. Migration occurs from South to North and the routes vary according to climatic and oceanographic conditions (e.g., low temperatures, south winds, rainfall, currents, salinity). These conditions influence the abundance of mullets (and therefore fisheries success), their migration and stops in locations such as beaches, rocky shores, and islands. According to fishers, mullet spawning occurs throughout the coast of the Santa Catarina State and they feed in lagoons and riverine systems but also out at sea during migration. In conclusion, fishers possess a detailed knowledge about mullet life cycle and they identify intra and interannual variations in migration routes, a pattern that should be considered in managing the fishery.

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