Fisheries Management, Indigenous Rights and the Use of Local and Traditional Knowledge
Natalie Ban, University of Victoria, School of Environmental Studies

Fisheries management has not always been successful. When species decline, those who suffer the most are local residents who don’t have the capacity to travel further to catch the fish they need. Indigenous peoples are particularly affected, as fishing and consumption of seafood is a core part of their culture. Along the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, Indigenous peoples are attempting to assert their rights over fisheries management. Multiple information types are used and integrated in, including traditional ecological knowledge, local knowledge, and ecological scientific methods. This presentation will tell the emerging story of some of those attempts.

Dr. Natalie Ban is an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria’s School of Environmental Studies. Her interdisciplinary research seeks to identify options for management and conservation of marine biodiversity whilst respecting people’s needs. Her research program is motivated by a desire to examine the intricate ties between people and the environment in coastal and marine systems, and implications of human uses for biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Her interdisciplinary research investigates social and ecological themes to understand how social-ecological systems function – and, in turn, how stewardship can be improved for a better future for people and biodiversity.