Variable Longline Fishing: The History and Sustainable Innovation of a
Traditional Marine Ecological Knowledge
Dublin Core
Title
Variable Longline Fishing: The History and Sustainable Innovation of a
Traditional Marine Ecological Knowledge
Traditional Marine Ecological Knowledge
Description
Amoy variable longline fishing is an efficient, accurate and controllable traditional fishing technique
created by Amoy fisherman, which has been popular in the Taiwan Strait and Zhoushan fisheries for
hundreds of years. It was replaced by seine and trawl since the 1970s but continues to exist with inshore
small-scale fisheries. It is a fishing method based on traditional marine ecological knowledge such as
seabed topography, water current and fish migration. It evolves with environmental conditions, and is a
living marine cultural heritage.
In the past ten years, we have conducted a series of experimental archaeology studies on traditional
shipbuilding, traditional navigation and traditional longline fishing. The studies expanded the boundary of
marine ecological knowledge. This introduces a special perspective on the effects of climate change
towards marine ecology and other external conditions. We aim to explore feasible coexistence with
underwater cultural heritage and maritime cultural heritage by exploring the role of Amoy’s longline
fishing as an innovative precision fishing technology. We work to teach local communities to use
traditional methods to carry out non-destructive, accurate and efficient productive fishing in the complex
environment of underwater cultural heritage (UCH). We promote the variable longline fishing for
nomination on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, developed from
the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
created by Amoy fisherman, which has been popular in the Taiwan Strait and Zhoushan fisheries for
hundreds of years. It was replaced by seine and trawl since the 1970s but continues to exist with inshore
small-scale fisheries. It is a fishing method based on traditional marine ecological knowledge such as
seabed topography, water current and fish migration. It evolves with environmental conditions, and is a
living marine cultural heritage.
In the past ten years, we have conducted a series of experimental archaeology studies on traditional
shipbuilding, traditional navigation and traditional longline fishing. The studies expanded the boundary of
marine ecological knowledge. This introduces a special perspective on the effects of climate change
towards marine ecology and other external conditions. We aim to explore feasible coexistence with
underwater cultural heritage and maritime cultural heritage by exploring the role of Amoy’s longline
fishing as an innovative precision fishing technology. We work to teach local communities to use
traditional methods to carry out non-destructive, accurate and efficient productive fishing in the complex
environment of underwater cultural heritage (UCH). We promote the variable longline fishing for
nomination on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, developed from
the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Creator
Xu Lu
Yu LongFa
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Xu, Lu and Long Fa Yu. 2023. “Variable Longline Fishing: The History and Sustainable Innovation of a Traditional Marine Ecological Knowledge.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, Akifumi Iwabuchi, and Kotaro Yamafune.” In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL:https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1886
Files
Citation
Xu Lu and Yu LongFa, “Variable Longline Fishing: The History and Sustainable Innovation of a
Traditional Marine Ecological Knowledge,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1886.
Traditional Marine Ecological Knowledge,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1886.