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Harvesting the Coral Gardens: An Ethnobiological Study of Marine Gathering in the Tongan Islands, Polynesia

Malm, Thomas LU (1996) European Society for Oceanists Third Conference Pacific Peoples in the Pacific Century
Abstract
Seaweeds and marine invertebrates of the lagoons and reefs have, ever since the initial settlement almost 3.500 years ago, been a very important source of food and raw materials for the people of the Tongan islands. This study is an attempt to combine anthropological and biological perspectives in documenting and discussing, in contemporary as well as ancient contexts, the gathering/collecting of these organisms, a task which is mainly carried out by women and children. Descriptions and analyses are given of the indigenous terminology of marine ecological zones, the gender based division of subsistence/semi- subsistence marine labour, the principles of the Tongan folk taxonomy, and the obtaining and use of gathered marine organisms. The... (More)
Seaweeds and marine invertebrates of the lagoons and reefs have, ever since the initial settlement almost 3.500 years ago, been a very important source of food and raw materials for the people of the Tongan islands. This study is an attempt to combine anthropological and biological perspectives in documenting and discussing, in contemporary as well as ancient contexts, the gathering/collecting of these organisms, a task which is mainly carried out by women and children. Descriptions and analyses are given of the indigenous terminology of marine ecological zones, the gender based division of subsistence/semi- subsistence marine labour, the principles of the Tongan folk taxonomy, and the obtaining and use of gathered marine organisms. The following points are made: 1. Whereas the men's fishing has been well documented, the women's gathering has been overlooked by researchers even though it is of great local economic significance. 2. The indigenous knowledge concerning the marine environment, the organisms and their uses is vast but could become partly forgotten in times of rapid economic/cultural changes. Around 220 folk taxa (of which at least ca. 175 are exploited) and over 40 different major uses are recorded. 3. These resources have become threatened from over- exploitation, not only as a result of population growth but also of the integration of Tonga into the global economic system. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
unpublished
subject
keywords
Ethnobiology, Oceania, Polynesia, Marine gathering, Kingdom of Tonga, Human Ecology
conference name
European Society for Oceanists Third Conference Pacific Peoples in the Pacific Century
conference location
Denmark
conference dates
1996-12-13 - 1996-12-15
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bdc38520-8df7-4658-86f6-31b7bdc6e4c5 (old id 607296)
alternative location
http://cc.joensuu.fi/esfo/conferences/conf3/conf3b.htm
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:59:30
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:11:40
@misc{bdc38520-8df7-4658-86f6-31b7bdc6e4c5,
  abstract     = {{Seaweeds and marine invertebrates of the lagoons and reefs have, ever since the initial settlement almost 3.500 years ago, been a very important source of food and raw materials for the people of the Tongan islands. This study is an attempt to combine anthropological and biological perspectives in documenting and discussing, in contemporary as well as ancient contexts, the gathering/collecting of these organisms, a task which is mainly carried out by women and children. Descriptions and analyses are given of the indigenous terminology of marine ecological zones, the gender based division of subsistence/semi- subsistence marine labour, the principles of the Tongan folk taxonomy, and the obtaining and use of gathered marine organisms. The following points are made: 1. Whereas the men's fishing has been well documented, the women's gathering has been overlooked by researchers even though it is of great local economic significance. 2. The indigenous knowledge concerning the marine environment, the organisms and their uses is vast but could become partly forgotten in times of rapid economic/cultural changes. Around 220 folk taxa (of which at least ca. 175 are exploited) and over 40 different major uses are recorded. 3. These resources have become threatened from over- exploitation, not only as a result of population growth but also of the integration of Tonga into the global economic system.}},
  author       = {{Malm, Thomas}},
  keywords     = {{Ethnobiology; Oceania; Polynesia; Marine gathering; Kingdom of Tonga; Human Ecology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Harvesting the Coral Gardens: An Ethnobiological Study of Marine Gathering in the Tongan Islands, Polynesia}},
  url          = {{http://cc.joensuu.fi/esfo/conferences/conf3/conf3b.htm}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}