Understanding The Cultures Of Fishing Communities

By the Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA.

Nineteen peer-reviewed articles are included in the proceedings of the 2011 symposium, Fishing People of the North: Cultures, Economies, and Management Responding to Change. Authors present research in the disciplines of anthropology, biology, and economics on fishing communities in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Russia, Japan, and Norway. Among many topics, the papers cover cultural responses to climate change effects; transitions in fishing communities regarding permits, quotas, and target species; using local knowledge to preserve a fishery and to map subsistence patterns; and tribal involvement in fisheries management. Contributors share ways to address change and ensure that fishing remains a healthy, vibrant part of northern coastal communities

Throughout Europe, fishermen have often been portrayed as a ruggedly independent and freedom-loving lot, "a race apart" working relentlessly in perilous pursuit of prey to eke out a parsimonious livelihood. For this reason, fisher folk have often been romanticized in a rather heroic fashion in novels, poetry, pictorial arts, and popular and scholarly writing as a kind of "noble savages" at home. But, both the positive and the negative views were stereotypical and based on exoticism. The imagery of fishermen as folk heroes has changed dramatically over the past few decades. They are currently under increasing scrutiny from environmentalists and public opinion for allegedly being unruly marauders of marine living resources. This volume of essays throws light on cultural dimensions of fishing and whaling in Europe and the United States. Rob van Ginkel is an anthropologist and is affiliated with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

Fishing has been an essential occupation for many coastal communities around the world for centuries, providing a source of sustenance and livelihood. The history of local fishermen is a fascinating subject, as it involves the interplay of geography, culture, and technology over time. In many coastal communities, fishing has been a way of life for generations. The methods and techniques used for catching fish have evolved over time, with new technology and innovations constantly being introduced. In some places, traditional methods such as net fishing and hand-line fishing are still used, while in others, modern techniques such as trawling and longlining have become more common. The history of local fishermen is often closely tied to the geography and natural resources of the area. For example, in areas with abundant fish populations, such as the coast of Japan or Norway, fishing has played a vital role in the local economy and culture for centuries. In other areas, such as the coast of West Africa, fishing has been a means of survival for coastal communities in the face of harsh environmental conditions and political instability. The history of local fishermen also reflects the social and cultural context of the communities they are a part of. In many places, fishing has been a male-dominated profession, with skills and knowledge passed down from father to son. However, there are also many examples of women who have played important roles in the fishing industry, either as fisherwomen or as traders and processors of fish. Over time, the fishing industry has become increasingly commercialized and globalized, with fish and seafood being traded around the world. This has had both positive and negative impacts on local fishermen, as it has opened up new markets and opportunities, but has also led to overfishing and environmental degradation in some areas. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of sustainable fishing practices, as well as the need to support local fishing communities. Initiatives such as community-supported fisheries and seafood certification programs have emerged to promote sustainable fishing practices and to ensure that fishermen receive fair prices for their catch. In conclusion, the history of local fishermen is a rich and complex subject that touches on many aspects of human society and culture. From the methods and techniques used for catching fish to the social and cultural context of fishing communities, the history of local fishermen offers insights into the ways in which people have interacted with their natural environment over time. As the fishing industry continues to evolve and face new challenges, understanding this history will be crucial for ensuring a sustainable and equitable future for both fishermen and the marine ecosystem.

Conventional management approaches cannot meet the challenges faced by ocean and coastal ecosystems today. Consequently, national and international bodies have called for a shift toward more comprehensive ecosystem-based marine management. Synthesizing a vast amount of current knowledge, Ecosystem-Based Management for the Oceans is a comprehensive guide to utilizing this promising new approach. At its core, ecosystem-based management (EBM) is about acknowledging connections. Instead of focusing on the impacts of single activities on the delivery of individual ecosystem services, EBM focuses on the array of services that we receive from marine systems, the interactive and cumulative effects of multiple human activities on these coupled ecological and social systems, and the importance of working towards common goals across sectors. Ecosystem-Based Management for the Oceans provides a conceptual framework for students and professionals who want to understand and utilize this powerful approach. And it employs case studies that draw on the experiences of EBM practitioners to demonstrate how EBM principles can be applied to real-world problems. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding the factors that contribute to social and ecological resilience —the extent to which a system can maintain its structure, function, and identity in the face of disturbance. Utilizing the resilience framework, professionals can better predict how systems will respond to a variety of disturbances, as well as to a range of management alternatives. Ecosystem-Based Management for the Oceans presents the latest science of resilience, while it provides tools for the design and implementation of responsive EBM solutions.

While there are many manuals available on participatory rapid appraisal approaches to monitoring and evaluation, there were none easily used by field officers attempting to aid and encourage fishing community level participation in monitoring and evaluating activities of projects and programmes in rural fishing communities. This manual is prepared with easily followed instructions for 26 participatory monitoring tools to allow use by both local field staff acting as facilitators and directly by community members engaged in the evaluation process.