In the Land of the Mermaid: How Culture, not Ecology, Influenced Marine Mammal Exploitation in the Southeastern Caribbean

Romero, Aldemaro; Creswell, Joel E.

doi:10.1007/1-4020-3774-0_1

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Moreover, Amazonian tribes believe that those who drown or eat manatees become manatees themselves (Lefebvre et al 2011;Romero and Creswell 2005), it should be noted that in some cases, myths and legends associated with these animals-although not always sufficient to stop their exploitation-can provide them with some level of protection (Alves and Rosa 2008). In Cambodia, for example, it is generally considered unlucky to deliberately kill a dolphin, but if a dead dolphin is found, the body parts are then often used for traditional medicine, for both livestock and humans (Ashwell and Walston 2008).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although these animals show some common basic characteristics, they exhibit a wide variety of ecological characteristics such as size, behavior, diet, and habitat (Crespo and Hall 2002). Generally, they are medium to large sized and are therefore a potential source of large amounts of subproducts, which have been utilized by humans since ancient times, as attested by archeological evidence and historical accounts (Colten and Arnold 1998;Crespo and Hall 2002;Porcasi and Fujita 2000;Romero et al 2002;Romero and Creswell 2005). Aquatic mammals have a history of interaction with humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aquatic Mammals Used in Traditional Folk Medicine: A Global Analysis

Alves

Souto

Oliveira

et al. 2012

Animals in Traditional Folk Medicine

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Aquatic mammals are medium-to large-sized animals, which have been the source of large amounts of subproducts-among which medicines-to humans since ancient times. They are also among the most threatened animal taxa worldwide. This chapter provides an overview of the global use of aquatic mammals in traditional folk medicine and the implications for conservation, with emphasis on species of the orders Cetacea, Sirenia, and Carnivora. At least 24 species of aquatic mammals are used in traditional medicine worldwide, although all these species are listed in the IUCN Red List, including one species categorized as Critically Endangered, three as Endangered, eight as Vulnerable. The medicinal use probably does not pose a major threat to most aquatic mammals; however, their exploitation for medicinal purposes is troubling, as it constitutes an additional and persistent impact for a group of animals that has suffered major direct impacts, especially hunting (for food and fur) and habitat loss, as well as impacts related to global warming.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic Mammals Used in Traditional Folk Medicine: A Global Analysis

Alves

Souto

Oliveira

et al. 2012

Animals in Traditional Folk Medicine

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“…Moving away from a broad consideration of the place of the study of traditional Caribbean wooden boatbuilding within the context of nautical archaeology, we now focus on the specific historical and cultural context of one understudied area of this rich Caribbean maritime tradition: whaling and its associated material culture (cf Price, 1985;Romero and Creswell, 2005;Romero, 2012). Moving away from a broad consideration of the place of the study of traditional Caribbean wooden boatbuilding within the context of nautical archaeology, we now focus on the specific historical and cultural context of one understudied area of this rich Caribbean maritime tradition: whaling and its associated material culture (cf Price, 1985;Romero and Creswell, 2005;Romero, 2012).…”

Section: Caribbean Maritime Archaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The foregoing analysis sets out some of the rich material yielded by Pyle's research that could be developed further in Caribbean nautical archaeological research. Moving away from a broad consideration of the place of the study of traditional Caribbean wooden boatbuilding within the context of nautical archaeology, we now focus on the specific historical and cultural context of one understudied area of this rich Caribbean maritime tradition: whaling and its associated material culture (cf Price, 1985;Romero and Creswell, 2005;Romero, 2012).…”

Section: Caribbean Maritime Archaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Slaves to Sailors: the archaeology of traditional Caribbean shore whalingc.1850-2000. A case study from Barbados and Bequia (St Vincent Grenadines)

Finneran

2016

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology

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The archaeology of the post‐Emancipation Caribbean remains relatively understudied. The collapse of the industrial‐scale sugar plantation systems of the islands in the early 19th century saw a radical re‐organization of socio‐economic life. A new corpus of consumers was created, eking out a living on the margins of island society, but never quite liberated. This period sees the emergence of an Afro‐Caribbean maritime culture focused upon shipbuilding, fishing, turtling and whaling, the latter a particular feature of the eastern Caribbean (Windward Islands). The archaeology of whaling communities, is relatively well understood from the perspective of North America, Australasia and Europe, but less so in the Caribbean. Using two case studies based upon recent excavation and survey work, this paper sheds light on a distinctive maritime cultural response in the post‐emancipation Eastern Caribbean world.

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“…Whaling was introduced to the Eastern Caribbean through interaction with the New England-based "Yankee Whaler" eet during the 19th century (Romero and Cresswell 2005). Both the humpback whale-focused operation on Bequia and the operation targeting small cetaceans from the main island of St. Vincent grew out of this introduction.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic and Geographic Patterns of Cetacean-based Food Product Consumption and Potential Mercury Exposure within a Caribbean Whaling Community

Fielding¹,

Kiszka

Macdonald

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Exposure to mercury (Hg) through the consumption of seafood is a major public health concern. The tissues of high trophic level marine organisms, such as cetaceans, often contain high concentrations of Hg compared to lower trophic level species. The archipelagic Caribbean nation of St. Vincent & the Grenadines supports two related whaling operations, which produce food from cetaceans for human consumption. A recent study reported that Hg concentrations in tissue samples from one of these whaling operations exceed recommended consumption limits. Our objective was to determine the role of cetacean-based food products in the diet of the Vincentian population as a proxy for exposure to MeHg. Methods: We conducted interviews with 921 members of the Vincentian public. We asked questions about the types of food consumed, frequency of consumption, and quantities consumed. Based upon provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) guidelines for methylmercury (MeHg) from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), we determined safe weekly consumption amounts for specific cetacean-based food products, based upon reported consumption patterns. Results: We found cetacean-based food products to be included in the diet of 77.4 percent of respondents. Respondents’ gender and geographical home region are the most predictive attributes for cetacean-based food product consumption, whereas socioeconomic status and age play a minor role and no role, respectively. Frequency and amount of consumption vary, but generally exceed calculated safe weekly consumption amounts. Conclusions: The consumption of cetacean-based food products by members of the Vincentian public may represent a public health risk, as data indicate that a large portion of the population may be exposed to concentrations of MeHg in excess of recommended limits. Any potential action to address this risk is likely to be most effective if targeted toward the specific high-consumption population segments identified by our study.

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In the Land of the Mermaid: How Culture, not Ecology, Influenced Marine Mammal Exploitation in the Southeastern Caribbean

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

Aquatic Mammals Used in Traditional Folk Medicine: A Global Analysis

Aquatic Mammals Used in Traditional Folk Medicine: A Global Analysis

Slaves to Sailors: the archaeology of traditional Caribbean shore whalingc.1850-2000. A case study from Barbados and Bequia (St Vincent Grenadines)

Demographic and Geographic Patterns of Cetacean-based Food Product Consumption and Potential Mercury Exposure within a Caribbean Whaling Community

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