Indigenous fishers' knowledge on fish behavior, fishing practices and climatic conditions in a conservation priority coastal ecosystem in the Caspian Sea

Besides modern and exogenous knowledge, traditional and Indigenous knowledge of local communities are also needed for proper management and conservation of marine resources. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge of Indigenous Turkmen fishers of Gorgan Gulf which is a conservation priority coastal ecosystem in Caspian Sea, Iran. To do so, an in-field participatory research was done in five villages adjacent to Gorgan Gulf in 2020 using semi-structured interviews and focused group discussion with 48 knowledgeable Turkmen fishers through snowball sampling method. The result showed that Turkmen fishers carried extensive body of knowledge about fish species, their characteristics (size, weight, morphology, behavior), traditional fishing calendar and factors affecting it (including fish spawning time, weather condition, wind types), fishing location, orientation and navigation in fishing, fishing tools and equipment and methods of net placement. Turkmen fishers also described how the quantity, quality and diversity of fish has drastically decreased over time and they mentioned six main reasons for that including exchange of paddling and rowing boats for motor boats; adoption of galvanized nets which replaced cotton nets; decreased possibility and condition of spawning; degradation of shore habitats and decline in fish food leading to fish migration; destruction of small lakes and wetlands adjacent to Caspian Sea and overfishing. In conclusion, considering the role of small-scale fishers in human well-being and food security, their Indigenous and local knowledge must be taken into consideration for natural resources management and conservation.