A seminar on Traditional Fishing and Indigenous Knowledge has emphasised the need to preserve and archive technical information of native fishermen to maintain the sustainability of fisheries.
K S Purushan, Professor of Eminence, KUFOS, said that indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) is very much helpful to promote eco-friendly fishing practices by observing various signs and signals in sea and sky and it demands skilled and strategic approach, season favoured fishing, conservative and sustainable practices.
Purushan was speaking at the seminar held at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS).
A competent traditional fisherman can make use of this knowledge for closely observing the various changes taking place in the atmosphere, sky, oceanic medium and water turbulences.
He will be also able to judge how the water currents and tides would affect the fishing endeavour. By feeling the temperature of water in finger tips, some fishermen will be able to predict the appearance or disappearance of fish at times, Purushan said.
Weather changes
The ability to predict weather changes due to formation of clouds is an important indigenous technical knowledge for fishing.
An experienced traditional fisherman can predict, by observing the constellation and concentration of stars, and the availability of fish to follow during subsequent days. The reddish hue seen in the horizon during certain evenings is believed to be a fore-runner for the availability of fish like Mackerel, he said.
2014, The Hindu Business Line