Archeology: Oyster fisheries managed by Indigenous communities existed for more than 5,000 years

 
In North America and Australia, Nature Communications publishes a paper suggesting that oyster fishing managed by indigenous communities survived well for more than 5000 years before European immigrants settled. ..The study showed that the oyster fishery was not only managed, but also woven into cultural traditions, and that these oyster fisheries may provide useful information for future fisheries management.

Oysters are an important indicator of the health of coastal ecosystems and are culturally and economically important in communities around the world.However, the oyster reef area that existed in the 19th century had been lost by 21% by the beginning of the 80st century.Current oyster fishery management strategies rely primarily on data from the last 200 years, during which many of the world's fisheries have been affected by overfishing, marine pollution, competition with alien species and habitat loss. It collapsed.Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of historical data in understanding the world's ecosystems, the knowledge and archaeological knowledge gained from indigenous communities is revisited in the areas of conservation and ecology. I often couldn't.

Now, Leslie Reeder-Myers and colleagues look at past oyster fisheries in eastern Australia, the Pacific coast of North America and the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North America.In this study, past records of sea level and landing height in each region are recorded, archaeological records of oyster populations and geographical distribution of oyster habitats, and oyster landing, management, and aquaculture by indigenous communities. Combined with ethnographic records. Reeder-Myers and colleagues have expressed the view that oyster fishing is widespread and has survived for 5000 to 1 years, managed by indigenous communities, where oysters are actively managed and play a central role in culture and diet. It shows the idea that it was fulfilled. Reeder-Myers and colleagues point out that this idea is inconsistent with the doctrine that describes the pre-settlement coastal ecosystems of immigrants as "primitive" or "wild", but rather well managed by indigenous communities. It raises the idea that it was a resource.

Reeder-Myers and colleagues believe that future oyster reef management needs to be centered around indigenous communities and their members to develop an inclusive and fair success strategy for oyster landing, recovery and management. Shows.

doi: 10.1038 / s41467-022-29818-z
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* This article is reprinted from "Nature Japan Featured Highlights".
Reprinted from: "Archeology: The oyster fishery managed by the indigenous community has survived for over 5000 years.'
 

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