Indigenous Knowledge of Coastal Fishing Communities

Indigenous Knowledge of Coastal Fishing Communities the dynamic nature of the Bay of Bengal’ ecological system and its exceedingly rich aquatic resources provide the right setting for the generation and sustenance of small-scale fishers’ specialized Indigenous Knowledge (IK) system. Nurtured within the socially-embedded local institution and belief system, fishers’ IK is a fluid mix of empirical knowledge developed through decades of active experimentations and direct observations of marine resources and environment (folk-oceanography). IK is a specialized real-world representation of human capability and capital of the traditional Hindu fishers who gradually passed on to other religious groups through cooperative fishing and knowledge exchange. IK is fundamental to maximizing harvest and safe operations of fishing craft and gear in the sea.

Fishers’ knowledge of folk-oceanography includes diverse aspects of seasonality, topography, depth and properties of the water columns, freshwater influx from the riverine system, wind velocity and direction, lunar periodicity, celestial navigation, etc. Their folk-taxonomical knowledge includes species identification, availability and distribution of marine/ brackish water aquatic resources. Fishers know about six variants of water mass prevailing in the Bay of Bengal, namely turbid, light green, green, clear, light blue, and blackish water. Fishers remain vigilant about the pattern of wind directions and velocity; they consider the relatively mild wind blowing from the north, and the east to the west as suitable for fishing operations. The southerly wind (blowing from mid-March to mid-July) turns the sea to an ‘angry’ state while the rain tends to diminish ‘forces’ of storms and cyclones. In harmony with the lunar periodicity (Tithi) and the semi-diurnal tidal system (revealing two high-tides Joar and two low-tides Bhata a day), fishers make expert decisions on artisanal fishing operations.

Fishers know well about the sea topography and dynamic process of erosion and accretion in the sea. Using cosmological knowledge and intricate navigational skills, fishers travel to deep sea without using basic equipment. Fishers know about 50 fishing sites as compared to four major fishing grounds in the Bay of Bengal. Efforts should be taken for the integration of IK and scientific knowledge for sustainable management of marine resources in the Bay of Bengal. A process of blue justice needs to be in place to save the fishing rights of the traditional fishers and their generational knowledge. [Apurba Krishna Deb]