Living Oceans
April 2010
Banner photo: Orange Anthias and Coral, Egypt [© David Doubilet]
Building a Bridge
The Island of Kadmat in the Lakshadweep archipelago
Communities living in a certain degree of geographical isolation have evolved a distinctive relationship with the natural environment. Lakshadweep is a tropical island archipelago in the Indian Ocean just off the southwestern coast of India. Ten of its 27 islands are inhabited, with a collective population of 60,570. The islands host an extraordinary degree of biodiversity in their coral reefs and lagoons. The knowledge of this biodiversity is stored in a complex, rich oral archive of ecological information the islanders have built up about the marine realm. Their traditional wisdom can be grouped into three major categories, which relate to species habitats, the fishing of species for commercial purposes and the fishing of species used for subsistence and sustenance.
The islanders' collective memory has been passed down orally from generation to generation. As the islands develop and the economy and culture transform, this knowledge, through which the islanders have maintained a sustainable relationship with the natural environment, is at risk of being lost. During public dialogues and focus-group discussions with islanders earlier in the decade, the necessity of documenting and incorporating this knowledge base into current management plans, as well as conservation and development plans, became apparent. From 2000 to 2001 and after, I worked as an intermediary in the planning stage, to bridge the gulf between what islanders are doing on the ground and the Lakshadweep Administration's planning.
The lagoon
There is a particularly rich indigenous fishing knowledge related to tuna fishing, which is a mainstay of the economy. In the past, tuna fishing constituted more than 30 percent of the economy, but it is now being replaced by employment in the government sector. There are 30 species of live baitfish essential to tuna fishing; the fishing grounds, best fishing times and seasons within a 25-km radius of the islands are well-known to the islanders. The fishermen and women have a highly developed knowledge of the influence of the ocean currents in this dynamic picture.
A tuna fishing team consists of 10-14 people. Of these, six of the fishermen are experts in handling a pole and line. This usually requires one or two people to throw out the baitfish from the boat and two others to manage the boat. Four people are needed to carry out various duties on land. The catch is then shared out in the ratio of half for the boat owner and half for the crew.
The islanders take from their natural environment both for their own consumption and for the market. Fishing is mainly concentrated in the lagoon. The species composition of the catch varies depending on the fishing equipment used. For example, the largest composition of species caught with cast nets is carangids, followed by goatfish, with other catch being halfbeaks and mullets. There is a set etiquette about sharing space in the lagoon between the islanders, who are aware of different habits and habitats of fish. The movement of fish shoals is connected to a tidal chart to which islanders frequently refer. On many of the islands there are experts who specialize in shark and turtle catching, which require good observation and agility.
Women contribute to the subsistence economy whilst fishing. For instance, they collect cowry shells for export to the mainland as well as octopuses to supplement the daily menu, and have a good knowledge of where to find these.
There are many customary laws which enable the community to use the resources wisely. The most prevalent law in relation to fishing has been with regard to lagoon use. Areas within the lagoon are marked as fishing grounds for different fishing groups by the village head. There is an understanding about the areas, and disputes are avoided.
Traditional fishing methods ensure sustainable use of the islands' resources
As modern development of the islands started, fishers observed changes in the availability and behavior of fish. Reef blasting in Agatti Island was the cause of changes in halfbeak fish shoal movement, which disrupted the fishing ground allocation pattern. An El Niño (period of unusual ocean surface warming) in 1998 caused coral reef bleaching. There was also a change in the association between species within coral communities as well as a consequent change in the diversity of flora and fauna.
Traditional Knowledge and Management Strategies
I was involved in two important processes: a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the process of setting up a conservation reserve in Agatti Island, both of which revealed the need to collate and document this deep and invaluable knowledge about marine bioresources. The lack of a resource map of the islands offering relevant information on the bioresources dependency of the community was a major hurdle for both projects. However, we were able to construct a reliable map by recording data held in the mental map of the fishers about good fishing grounds and species habitats.
The various development projects being planned on the islands for entry of more boats and the opening up of uninhabited islands with good fishing grounds require a detailed understanding about the way the resources would be used. The conservation ethic of the islanders was felt a decade ago when they expressed concern over the decision of the Lakshadweep Administration to collect apparently useless but abundant sea cucumbers. In fact, a ban was imposed after islanders raised concerns about the plummeting of the species population. A recent reduction in the availability of fish bait has been related to changes and destructive practices in the lagoon along with overexploitation.
A community meeting
The islanders also expressed concern over the possibility of a no-take zone that accompanies the setting up of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This fear has had to be allayed, and there was assurance about a management strategy incorporating participatory resource mapping, which was reiterated.
The islanders' knowledge of the habits and habitats of fish and other organisms on which the community depends provides the foundation for evolving sustainable harvesting strategies as the islands develop. This mental map, which includes fishing grounds as well as time and seasonal variations, opens up new arenas for a participatory management plan. It includes both commercial and noncommercial species and resources. The integration and marriage of traditional knowledge with modern management plans is paving the path for an ecologically viable and sustainable life strategy, leading to long-term survival in the islands.
Anitha Sharma is an environmental educator and researcher focusing on coastal ecology and community-based issues. Her research and outreach work has been focused in Kerala State in south India as well as the coral islands of Lakshadweep in southwestern India. She recently published a book for children and also writes for journals such as Tourism Watch and Contour.
