https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320722002993
"The saltwater crocodile (
Crocodylus porosus) can be regarded as a cultural
keystone species for many Indigenous societies around the world, including for
many Aboriginal clans in northern Australia. Here the regional population of
Crocodylus porosus suffered a decline, almost to extinction, with unregulated
commercial hunting between the 1940s to the early 1970s. Following protected
status, saltwater crocodile populations made a rapid recovery. This research
documents the perceptions and experiences of this rapid (within living memory)
‘bust then boom’ saltwater crocodile population change, among a regional group
of Indigenous Australians (comprising several clans) from the Alligator Rivers
Region of western Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park in the Northern
Territory. Using semi-structured interviews, archival work and on-Country
(place-based) learning, significant influences on the continuity of Aboriginal
people's contemporary engagement with freshwater Country were identified. In
particular, the loss of access to freshwater customary harvesting sites and to
key harvested species, and as a driver of adaptive changes in harvesting
methods and consumption preferences for saltwater crocodile meat and eggs.
Importantly, the experiential losses from restricted access to waterbodies were
found to have significant impact on opportunities for inter-generational
knowledge transmission, according with more recent applications of the Shifting
Baseline Syndrome to Indigenous Ecological Knowledge. Findings demonstrate the
need for monitoring and management programs of cultural keystone species, like
the saltwater crocodile, to include Indigenous-led biocultural knowledge
programs as a means of supporting local and Indigenous Knowledge systems. This
is particularly critical in cross-cultural, First Nations, and joint-management
contexts."
Via
Fix the News:
<
https://fixthenews.com/goodnews-meals-brazil-rewild-denmark-mangroves-pakistan/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
