Local Ecological Knowledge and Conservation Attitudes of Fishers Regarding Shrimps and Crabs in Panguil Bay, Northwestern Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

Panguil Bay, known for its rich crab and shrimp populations, faces a pressing challenge from unsustainable fishing practices that threaten these essential resources. To aid in their management, an assessment employing a 26-item questionnaire was used to explore the local ecological knowledge (LEK) and conservation attitudes of 181 fishers from five coastal communities along the bay. In general, the findings corroborated the perspectives of fishers with the established literature. However, some disagreements, particularly in relation to shrimp reproduction, were observed. Approximately 80% of fishers reported no strict regulations against capturing berried females or undersized crustaceans in the bay. Fishers displayed openness to sharing knowledge with researchers, evident in the positive conservation attitude index average of 0.80 ± 0.041 Standard Error of the Mean. Utilizing LEK surveys emerged as a practical strategy, tapping into the experiential knowledge of locals for profound insights into Panguil Bay’s crab and shrimp fisheries. These outcomes underscore the vital need for nurturing dialogues and information dissemination among stakeholders—fishers, scientists, and managers—to formulate effective management strategies. Keywords; Local ecological knowledge (LEK), conservation, Panguil Bay, crabs, shrimps, juveniles