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Background Chilika Lagoon, India, is a biodiversity hotspot that is home to over 200 fish species and supports the livelihoods of over 400 000 fishers. A detailed record of fish names was previously undertaken; however, our initial field observations revealed differences in fish naming from those documented in the literature. Methods This study examines local nomenclature of Chilika fishes in greater detail, with an emphasis on intra-cultural variation in fisher knowledge by taking an age-gender-village approach. Fieldwork was executed in three fishing villages across the lagoon by showing 56 colour photos of important fish to 108 local community members. Within each village, an equal number of respondents were selected across each of the three age groups and genders. The local name was documented for each fish, and the responses were analyzed according to age, gender, and village. Results Across all photos, a total of 753 unique names were recorded, with many of these names attributed to phonetic differences. No notable age and gender differences in fish identification exist, except men were able to identify several fishes with higher success than women, and differences in fish naming exist across the three villages. Conclusions This study revealed that the local names ascribed to Chilika fish were more extensive than documented in previous literature. This study emphasizes the importance of surveying basin-wide to capture the range of names associated with each fish species.

Fishing ensures necessary food for humans and is inextricably linked with the environment because coastal communities developed special fishing procedures to achieve better exploitation of the aquatic resources. Lake Trichonis, Greece’s largest natural lake, is a freshwater ecosystem in which a marine species (Atherina boyeri) has entered and dominate the ichthyofauna. This species is exploited by purse seine fishing with the use of light, and previous studies revealed that the fishing lights create a particular food chain reaction, which promotes predation among the attracted fish species, one of which is Scardinius acarnanicus that preys upon A. boyeri. The purse seine fishers typically return to the lake alive S. acarnanicus, due to its low market demand, although it is the main predator of their catch. This custom, apart from causing income losses, promotes instability in the fish populations, while eventually altered the foraging behaviour of S. acarnanicus and made it a fish-predator instead of a typical omnivorous species. Based on data from official fish landing recordings, interviews with local fishers, and responses to questionnaires completed by residents of villages around Lake Trichonis, the present study investigates how changes in the dietary habits of the lakeside communities over time have led to the low market demand for S. acarnanicus. The present findings revealed an interesting relation between the dietary preferences of the local population and their ecological consequences for the fish community of this lake. This will eventually lead to the increase in the top predator (S. acarnanicus) and an inevitable decrease in the main catch (A. boyeri), affecting not only the ecological status of the lake, but also the socioeconomic characteristics of the human populations in this area. From another perspective, the results demonstrate a paradigm of adapted evolution by a wild fish under the pressure of human activities. KCI Citation Count: 0

The absence of historical data on endangered species poses a conservation and socio-environmental problem. It is currently estimated that about one-third of all Chondrichthyes are under some level of threat, with knowledge gaps for many species. The aim of this research was to carry out a scientometric analysis on the scientific production concerning Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) on Chondrichthyes. Searches on the subject were carried out at the SciELO, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The retrieved publications were assessed and sorted by a list of  inclusion criteria, totaling 120 articles. The findings indicate that studies concerning LEK applied to Chondrichthyes assessments have recently gained relevance. The studies were published in a wide variety of journals and by researchers from different countries. Most research was aimed at marine ecosystems, and interviewees were usually professional fishers. From 179 studied Chondrichthyes, most are large sharks with conspicuous diagnostic characters, such as Galeocerdo cuvier, Isurus oxyrinchus and Sphyrna lewini, mainly in publications focused on fisheries. Studies addressing ethnoknowledge as a historical data collection source are undoubtedly paramount, and the need for further investments aiming at research in countries with scarce data addressing other actors, themes and scarcely studied taxa, is clear.

In this study, we highlight the rich perspectives and explanations of fish migration held by Indigenous groups across the Amazon. We present the aspects of Indigenous cosmological stories, drawing from our exploratory review of cultural ethnographies and grey literature, as well as the authors' own experiences. We ask, how do Amazonian peoples characterize fish migrations in story and cosmovision? We apply a movement ecology framework to present perspectives on fish migration across the Amazon. Indigenous descriptions of fishes and their movements are specific, relating to particular species, waterscape features, directions of movement and seasons; furthermore, fish migrations are important within Amazonian cosmologies, relating to broader processes of transformation and movement across space, time and worlds. Synthesis and applications. We posit that researchers and conservation practitioners can learn from Indigenous stories about fish and freshwater, and we encourage collaborations that protect biocultural riverscapes of the Amazon. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Background To date, there is little reliable information on the fish names used by two fishing communities of Myanmar, namely Intha (Inle Lake) and Rakhine (Bay of Bengal). Moreover, there have been no systematic studies on the distribution of fish-related traditional knowledge in these two communities. As there can be high levels of intra-community variation in traditional ecological knowledge, it is important to investigate this variation along the lines of key social variables. Methods Fieldwork was carried out in both communities and involved the presentation of visual stimuli (colour pictures of locally relevant fish species) to respondents, and asking for a name in the local language. The stimuli consisted of 43 and 218 fish species for Intha and Rakhine, respectively. The responses were analysed in terms of respondent age and occupation for both communities, plus village location for Intha and gender whenever both genders were represented in a sufficiently large number in the sample. Results Fish name lists were generated for both languages, taking into account lexical variation, as well as the number of people able to name each fish. The two communities differed markedly in the way fish knowledge was distributed. Overall, younger Intha knew fewer fish names, but there was little to no difference in fish knowledge among the Intha on the basis of occupation, location or gender. In contrast, the differences were very marked among Rakhine respondents. Conclusions The reduced fish knowledge of younger Intha may be ascribed to environmental disturbances that have caused many fish to go locally extinct. The otherwise homogenous distribution of fish knowledge in the Intha community may be due to the small number of species that people are required to learn. This idea needs to be tested with a larger sample of respondents. Among the Rakhine, a number of factors are responsible for the observed variation; these include a steep learning curve among younger fishermen, the difference in fish species encountered by fishermen and sellers, highly variable dietary preferences among the general populace and differing gender roles in the context of market visits. The authors are in full agreement with previous research that advocates a variationist approach to the study of traditional ecological knowledge.

Background The capture of ornamental fish is one of the main economic activities of riverine families in the Amazon. However, studies regarding the local ecological knowledge of workers in this activity are still incipient. In view of this, we have studied and explored the local ecological knowledge of artisanal fishers who specialize in the capture of fish for the aquarium trade in the middle part of the Negro River basin and investigated issues related to the ecological aspects of the fish species that are targeted by this trade in the region. Methods Therefore, we conducted semi-structured interviews and applied questionnaires to artisanal fishers of ornamental fish ( N = 89), from the municipality of Barcelos, from January to April 2016. Results In total, 41 popular names were cited, which correspond to four ethnocategories and 10 families. The main species were Paracheirodon axelrodi (12.5%), Hemigrammus bleheri (8.3%), Ancistrus dolichopterus (6.4%), Symphysodon discus (5.3%), and Potamotrygon motoro (3.8%). According to the fishers, the species of fish known in the region as “piabas” have a preference for living in clusters (28.9%) and carry out migratory movements (26.1%). The diet of local fish species reported by fisheries is diverse, though mainly based on periphyton (42.2%), and the reproductive cycle directly influenced by the period of flooding of rivers in the region (37.6%) Conclusion Our study revealed that the fishers possess information on the ecological aspects of local ornamental fish species, many of which are consistent with scientific literature. The information presented may assist in the decision-making process for the management of local fishery resources and contribute to the resumption of growth and sustainability in the capture of ornamental fish.

Background Social–ecological systems are based on particular species and on their direct and human-mediated interactions. The ‘golden humped tench’ or tinca gobba dorata , a variety of tench— Tinca tinca (L., 1758)—traditionally bred in artificial ponds called peschiere in Poirino highlands, northwest Italy, is one of such species. The aim of the study is to investigate the traditional farming of the golden humped tench, the associated knowledge, practices, and gastronomy, and to discuss the changes that the tench, the ponds, and their role in the local social–ecological system are going through. Methods The data analyzed were collected in different locations of Poirino highlands during May–September 2021. Fieldwork included semi-structured interviews ( n  = 23) with current and former tench farmers about the breeding and gastronomy of the tench and the management of the peschiere . The interviewees’ selection occurred through an exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling, and interview transcripts were qualitatively analyzed through inductive thematic content analysis. Results The golden humped tench has been farmed for centuries in ponds used also to water livestock and to irrigate cultivated fields, and managed by every peasant household in the area. This integrated aquaculture system is underpinned by detailed knowledge on the peschiera ecosystem and on the tench life cycle and supports a gastronomic knowledge that is part of the local heritage. The ongoing process of gastronomic valorization of the tench is sustaining the role of the fish in locals’ livelihoods and as a marker of regional identity, but it is also transforming tench farming, already threatened by livelihood change, pesticides, and invasive species, in controversial ways. Conclusions We argue that ponds and tenches are core elements of the local social–ecological system, defining the cultural landscape and engendering a form of regional identity around them. Studying integrated aquaculture systems and associated knowledge and practices is relevant to design sustainable systems of food production and to address possibilities of conservation of biodiversity and livelihoods in aquatic environments.

Inland fisheries are the main source of socioeconomic and food security for millions of families living in riverside communities around the world (Welcomme et al.2010; Alves and Minte-Vera 2013; Youn et al.2014; Gurung 2016; Lynch et al.2017). These fisheries involve small ponds and reservoirs, as well as major rivers (Beard et al.2016). It is not surprising that local fisheries involve the capture of a great variety of fish species (Lopes et al.2019). In 2016, inland fisheries’ global production reached 11.6 million tonnes, about 13% of all marine and inland catches (FAO 2018). However, this number is likely underestimated because it does not include catches intended for domestic consumption (Hallwass et al.2011; Lopes et al.2019). Human population growth, economic crises, and local vulnerabilities threaten inland fisheries stock, especially where there is direct exploitation of water resources by other dependent sectors (e.g., hydroelectric power).

Background Understanding how people interpret environmental change and develop practices in response to such change is essential to comprehend human resource use. In the cosmology of the American indigenous peoples, as among the Mapuche people, freshwater systems are considered a living entity, where animals have an enormous role to play in the universe of meaning. However, human adaptive responses to freshwater system dynamics are scarcely examined. In this work a survey is carried out in three Mapuche communities of Argentine Patagonia to assess their traditional knowledge of the fishes and other non-human living beings that inhabit lakes and rivers. Both material and symbolic aspects are included, as are the differences in knowledge and use of the fishes between past and present times. Methods Our methods were based on a quali-quantitative fieldwork approach. In-depth interviews were carried out with 36 individuals from three rural Mapuche populations in Neuquén province (Patagonia, Argentina). Free listing was used for inquiring about fish knowledge and use. Fishes were identified scientifically and ethnotaxonomically. In-depth analysis of the discourses was conducted, documenting the recognition, perception, and cultural significance of fluvial environments and their inhabitants. Quantitative survey results were analyzed with categorical statistical methods. Results The body of knowledge of the communities studied reflects the socio-environmental changes experienced by Patagonian freshwater bodies. According to local perception, non-human beings live in these water bodies, guarding the environment, and they should not be disturbed. At present, five different fish species are identified, three of which are exotic, having been introduced at the beginning of the 20th century by the white man. These exotic trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss and Salvelinus fontinalis ) are considered ill omens, indicators of the white man’s presence, and therefore their appearance presages negative events for the families. In addition, we found that Mapuche people differentiate fish species mainly by morphological, organoleptic and ecological attributes. Current consumption of fish by Mapuche communities is sporadic, in accordance with bibliography and ancient tales. Several fishing tools are used, including modern elements. Conclusions Our data enable us to characterise dynamic traditional knowledge in these communities, which is flexible in nature and adaptable to new situations, demonstrated by the incorporation not only of new species but also new fishing tools. It also seems that new significances become absorbed in synchrony with the advance or arrival of exotic and invasive species. For the Mapuche, the presence of the white man heralded by exotic trouts speaks of how a recent event, such as the introduction of the salmonids, is already incorporated into Mapuche symbolism. Mapuche traditional knowledge and cosmovision on the use of fish and waters, a vision which promotes respect and the avoidance of actions that could disturb the beings (animals and sacred or mythological characters) that inhabit and take care of them should be fostered as part of management plans of regional natural resources. This paper contributes to the broader literature on freshwater resource management by providing empirical evidence of the critical role of local perceptions in promoting the sustainable management of natural resources.

Suriname’s freshwater systems are home to a large diversity of (endemic) fish species, and communities of Suriname’s interior strongly depend on this diversity for their nutrient intake. However, studies on traditional knowledge of the country’s freshwater fish and fish-plant interactions are scarce. Here, we present our findings of a pilot study in the Aucan Maroon community of Diitabiki (Tapanahoni river). We report the species of freshwater fish caught for food, their corresponding Aucan names and plants eaten by fish and/or used for fishing by the local population. We held semi-structured interviews and performed participant observation with fishers and forest guides in August and September 2021. We recorded 14 fish species, of which 12 were identified to species level, and recorded 16 Aucan fish names, of which nine were previously undocumented. Furthermore, we reported 11 plant species that were used for fishing and one fish poison (Tephrosia sinapou (Buc’hoz) A.Chev.). Suriname’s riverine ecosystems are threatened by gold mining activities that endanger the health of local communities, as well as the fish populations and riverine forests on which both people and fish depend. Local knowledge on fish, their feeding behavior and the flooded forests is essential for the conservation of this important Amazonian ecosystem, for the development of sustainable management plans and health education programs on mercury levels in consumption fish.