The utilisation of maritime resources has been one primary forms of protein acquisition by humans from prehistory onwards along the coast. The underwater cultural heritage of stone tidal weirs is a sustainable, eco-friendly fishing practice, consisting of numerous rocks, located along the shoreline on a colossal scale. They are built in various shapes and styles to catch certain fish at certain times of the year. Many extant examples remain and provide a tangible link to the sustainable fishing practice that have incorporated traditional ecological knowledge, and the spirit world, providing balance and harmony for indigenous people for thousands of years. The continuity of maritime resources extraction via fish traps and weirs among the coastal communities makes it an ideal focus of study for the changes that have occurred in their form and role in maritime ecology and cultural landscapes. However, today these weirs are not just relic examples of the past, but a guide for future sustainable marine ecological conservation.

Organization

Cátedra UNESCO «O Património Cultural dos Oceanos

Support

CHAM / NOVA FCSH