Science behind traditional knowledge: An analysis in marine fisheries sector of Kerala

Abstract

Increasingly there is a relook are traditional streams of knowledge to understand the underlying science and to see if these can be used to further inquiry in various fields. Traditional knowledge of fishermen is based on their experiences and has undergone refinement through informal experimentations. The paper tries to explore the science behind some of the ITKs collected as a part of the ESSO-INCOIS funded project ‘Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITKs) in marine fisheries sector of Kerala: Documentation and Analysis’ carried out in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati, New Delhi. The methods used for validation were expert consultation and review of published work. Vavaruthy is a local term used by the fishermen to denote the less fish availability during a few days ahead of new moon and full moon. This can be related to the rough water currents. Fish availability is high when low currents prevail and it can be associated to the fish behaviour that fishes tend to congregate in shoals in low water current area. Juvenile shark oil is used by the fishermen as a cure rheumatism. The presence of chondroitin and glucosamine in shark cartilage is responsible for curing osteoarthritis. Fishermen’s knowledge about certain seasonal fish availability, beliefs about consumption of certain fishes, weather prediction and knowledge about physical oceanographic parameters and their effect on fisheries etc. need to be further explored