Utilising Indigenous seasonal knowledge to understand aquatic resource use and inform water resource management in northern Australia

Abstract

Summary Indigenous ecological knowledge can inform contemporary water management activities including water allocation planning. This paper draws on results obtained from a 3‐year study to reveal the connection between Indigenous socio‐economic values and river flows in the Daly River, Northern Territory. Qualitative phenological knowledge was analysed and compared to quantitative resource‐use data, obtained through a large household survey of Indigenous harvesting and fishing effort. A more complete picture of Indigenous resource‐use and management strategies was found to be provided by the adoption of mixed methods. The quantitative data revealed resource‐use patterns including when and where species are harvested. The qualitative Indigenous ecological data validated results from the quantitative surveys and provided insights into harvesting and resource management strategies not revealed by the discrete time‐bound surveys. As such, it informed the scientific understanding of patterns of resource use and relationships between people, subsistence use and river flows in the Daly River catchment. We recommend that natural resource managers, researchers and Indigenous experts prioritise collaborative projects that record Indigenous knowledge to improve water managers’ understanding of Indigenous customary aquatic resource use.

The persistence of subsistence: qualitative social-ecological modeling of indigenous aquatic hunting and gathering in tropical Australia

“…A central feature is that community well-being is involved in all feedback cycles, and all feedback cycles of length two or greater Ecology and Society 20(1): 60 http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss1/art60/ (Toussaint 2014) and/or for particular biological states of that species, i.e., young, fat, large, (Rouja et al 2003). Species may be desirable yearround, but desirability can also be highly seasonal (Woodward et al 2012 Nonindigenous barriers Barriers generated by past colonization and contemporary nonindigenous tenure regimes (Williams 1986, Rose 1996, Baker 1999, Barber 2010 and by less formal influences with similar effects (e.g., voluntary avoidance of areas heavily frequented by nonindigenous people; Barber and Jackson 2011b).…”

“…(Meehan 1982, Altman 1987, Povinelli 1992, Walsh 2008, Pusey 2011b, Jackson et al 2012a. Seasonality (Baker 1999, Clarke 2009, Prober et al 2011, Woodward et al 2012) and nutritional preferences (Rae et al 1982, O'Dea et al 1991, Miller et al 1993, Rouja et al 2003 are both relevant to prioritizing food resource selection. 2 Catch The results of successful effort, i.e., the food resources caught/gathered/taken by fishers, hunters, and gatherers (Altman 1987, Povinelli 1992, Barber 2004, Jackson et al 2012a).…”

“…Availability can be heavily influenced by season (Clarke 2009, Prober et al 2011, Woodward et al 2012). 24…”

Culturally significant fisheries: keystones for management of freshwater social-ecological systems

“…Such declines have greatly affected the subsistence economies of Indigenous people, who have lost access to freshwater fisheries and the ability to sustain cultural fishing practices and knowledge (Haggen et al 2006, Dick et al 2012). In response, many Indigenous people are driving the improved management, restoration, and conservation of freshwater species in North America, New Zealand, and Australia (e.g., Fraser et al 2006, Woodward et al 2012, Galbreath et al 2014. Indigenous people have been working with other agencies to develop approaches that involve cooperative, community-based, and collaborative comanagement strategies (Tipa and Welch 2006, NIWA 2010a, Hill et al 2012.…”

Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Caribbean Small Island Developing States: Integrating Local and External Knowledge

“…There are a number of examples worldwide demonstrating the use of local and external knowledge in relation to ecosystem management [48,49]. In addition, whilst not always directly focused on ecosystems per se, yet nonetheless covering aspects of ecosystems, there are large numbers of case studies outlining use of local knowledge to address climate change impacts such as in Samoa [50], Kenya [51], Uganda [52], New Zealand [53], Mongolia [54], India [55] and Mexico [56].…”