2004 Volume 68 Issue 4 Pages 465-486
Fishing is one of the most challenging human activities. Its aim is to catch fish, which are invisible in the vast ocean. Fishermen must acquire and utilize the "knowledge of reading the sea", to analyze fish behavior, determine fishing spots, interpret the tide and current, and read the wind. In this study, I examine the knowledge of reading the sea, as it has been cultivated by a skillful fisherman, Mr. Yukyo Uehara, of Itoman, Okinawa. "The Knowledge" which is possessed by those people who live in a deep relationship with their natural environment, has been called "traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)" or "ethno-science". In studies of TEK and ethno-science, this type of knowledge (here, I call it "people's knowledge") has been compared with scientific knowledge. In such a dualistic way of viewing knowledge, people's knowledge has been represented as if it were isolated from science and technology (which is one of the products of science). And, in many studies, this knowledge has been idealized as if the people who possessed it represented the way to live in harmony with nature. However, in these times, societies that maintain no relation whatsoever to science and technology are few, and it is difficult to imagine people' s knowledge that has not been influenced by them. Moreover, people' s knowledge should not be idealized without examining how the holders of such knowledge perceive the natural environment. In this study, I discuss the knowledge of reading the sea in the context of the everyday life of Mr. Uehara as an example of those who possess such knowledge. The first purpose of this study is to examine how the knowledge of the fisherman has been cultivated, and how this knowledge is influenced by science and technology. These analyses aim to provide a vision for people' s knowledge beyond the scientific-traditional dualism. Secondly, by examining how the fisherman cognizes his environment, I consider the relationship between the sea and the fisherman who reads the sea, in comparison with those of the younger generation who fish without attempting to read the sea. In Section 2, the history of fishing methods and fishing technology in Itoman is reviewed. Here I attempt to clarify that the fishing method called soko-haenawa (bottom long-line fishing), which is the main method discussed in this study, requires a wealth of experience and knowledge, while the fishing methods used by many younger fishermen today rely mainly on technology. I also point out that the soko-haenawa catch includes a wide variety of species which are distributed in local markets and valued in the local culture; on the contrary, the catch from high-tech fishing methods is limited to only a few species which are distributed in more global markets and detached from the local culture. In Section 3, I describe the knowledge of reading the sea from the viewpoint of the following elements: knowledge of reading the fishing points, the wind, and the current and tides. In focusing on the process of cultivating this knowledge, I analyze how the knowledge of reading the sea is influenced by scientific knowledge, including weather forecasting and fishing technology such as "fish-finder" and GPS (Global Positioning System). In Section 4, I analyze how the knowledge of reading the sea is utilized in practical fishing activities, based on the fisherman' s diary, the documents of the fishing co-operative, and my firsthand observation of fishing activitiy. Also, an explanation is given on how the knowledge of reading the sea enables the fisherman to act appropriately in a changeable environment, and how this knowledge is used to catch the more valuable fish selectively from a wide variety of fish. Based on these examinations, in Section 5, I first try to show that science and technology have a considerable influence on
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