Historical, Geographical, and Biocultural Values of ‘Doksal’, Korean Stone Tidal Weirs

Abstract

The sea is a space where ‘humans, materials, and information’ come and go. Given the abundant resources it provides, the sea has been significant in human culture until the present day. In particular, humans have made great advances in technological development and knowledge acquisition in relation to the use of fishing grounds. A characteristic example is the use of stone tidal weirs, a traditional fishing method that utilizes tidal differences and can be found all around the world. Stone tidal weirs have played an important role as a means of subsistence in the lives and livelihoods of islanders. This study, part of a bio-cultural diversity research study on the ecological and cultural characteristics of primitive traditional fisheries in island areas, was conducted in the island region of Shinan-gun, which has the largest number of islands in Korea and a sizeable tidal range. The study comprised a literature review, interviews with residents, and field surveys. Currently, there is no place where this traditional and primitive fishing method is used except for tourism purposes such as fishing village experiences. However, with the growing attention for nature-based solutions and community cooperation for marine ecosystem conservation, these traditional fishing methods are gaining renewed interest. This paper aims to discover the original fishing methods of the Southwest Sea islands and shed new light on their value in different respects, so that they can be used for ecotourism, education, exhibition, and scholarly activities in the future.