Indigenous People, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Climate Change: The Iconic Underwater Cultural Heritage of Stone Tidal Weirs

Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology [UNESCO UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology] - Japan

Change humanity’s relationship with the ocean, Indian Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, Project, South Pacific Ocean

The underwater cultural heritage of stone tidal weirs is a sustainable, eco-friendly fishing practice, consisting of numerous rocks, located along the shoreline on a colossal scale.

They are built in various shapes and styles to catch certain fish at certain times of the year. Many extant examples remain and provide a tangible link to the sustainable fishing practice that have incorporated traditional ecological knowledge, and the spirit world, providing balance and harmony for indigenous people for thousands of years. Today these weirs are not just relic examples of the past, but a guide for future sustainable marine ecological conservation.

Start Date: 01/04/2021
End Date: 31/12/2030

This Project is hosted by the Ocean Decade Programme Cultural Heritage Framework Programme

Lead Contact: Prof. Dr. Akifumi Iwabuchi (iwabuchi@kaiyodai.ac.jp)