TY - JOUR
T1 - Culturally significant fisheries
T2 - Keystones for management of freshwater social-ecological systems
AU - Noble, Mae
AU - Duncan, Phil
AU - Perry, Darren
AU - Prosper, Kerry
AU - Rose, Denis
AU - Schnierer, Stephan
AU - Tipa, Gail
AU - Williams, Erica
AU - Woods, Rene
AU - Pittock, Jamie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 by the author(s).
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Adaptive freshwater management
KW - Aquatic resources
KW - Bivalve
KW - Comanagement
KW - Crayfish
KW - Cultural keystone species
KW - Eel
KW - Indigenous ecological knowledge
KW - Indigenous water rights
KW - Lamprey
KW - Salmon
KW - Social-ecological resilience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84976534325&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5751/ES-08353-210222
DO - 10.5751/ES-08353-210222
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84976534325
SN - 1195-5449
VL - 21
SP - 1
EP - 20
JO - Ecology and Society
JF - Ecology and Society
IS - 2
M1 - 22
ER -