The University of Guam Sea Grant Extension Program received a $92,000 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Region Program Office (PIRO) to revive, demonstrate and teach pre-contact indigenous Chamorro fishing techniques.
"One of grant's objectives is to work with the group Traditions About Seafaring Islands (TASI) by focusing on ways that the indigenous Chamorro people harvested marine resources," said Jason Biggs, assistant professor at the University of Guam's Marine Lab. "Prior to European contact and conquest, the Chamorro people were renowned throughout the Western Pacific for their ability to fish the open ocean in addition to their inshore waters. Over the centuries, native Chamorro fishing practices, indigenous maritime skills, knowledge and tools have been replaced with Western technology. We need to reestablish our knowledge of our traditional fishing skills so we don't lose the safe, sustainable seafood supply that has defined us as a people for centuries."
Environmental stewardship, long-term economic development and responsible use of America's coastal, ocean and Great Lakes resources are at the heart of Sea Grant's mission. The overarching goal of Sea Grant Extension Program is to enhance understanding of coastal processes in way that promote the use of sustainable practices in human activities and result in improved conservation, protection and maintenance of coastal resources property.
This project brings together the traditional seafarers (TASI), Joe and Ray Viloria who are respected masters of ancient fishing practices, and the University of Guam Sea Grant Program (UOGSG). The team will work closely with the Guam Department of Agriculture, which is the local government agency tasked with managing Guam's natural resources. The project partners will work together on a one-year joint demonstration and educational project. "This marks the first time a local indigenous grass-roots organization, the university, and a government agency will collaborate on a project designed to educate and to empower the indigenous Chamorro people of Guam to revive indigenous fishing practices," said Biggs.
"We believe that by teaching the community how to build, handle and repair fiberglass replicas of the smaller galaide, indigenous outrigger canoes, and teaching traditional fishing techniques and tool making, the people of Guam will gain intimate understanding of their inshore fisheries. They will be able to reconnect with and spread awareness of the importance and delicateness of their natural coastal resources," said Biggs. "More importantly people will no longer be skeptical of their ability to catch fish using pre-contact equipment. With this project, the people of Guam have a chance to take the lead in creating an entirely new fisheries niche based on perpetuating our culture and our resources."
Grant objectives include:
- Increased local capacity for, and participation in, canoe design, building and repair, as well as pre-contact indigenous Chamorro fishing techniques;
- Increased local indigenous representation in the local fishing community;
- Development of across sector strategies for addressing the major issues affecting Micronesia's delicate coastal marine ecosystems;
- Development and implementation of best management practices for selected coastal economic activities
- Dissemination of knowledge pertaining to coastal ecosystem stewardship.
- Development of sustainable resource management models for the Western Pacific.
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For more information contact Dr. Jason Biggs at biggs.js@gmail.com or 671-735-2696.