Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is an understanding of lands, waters, creatures and the environment. It is passed through cultures, as in coastal aboriginal communities, or earned through a lifetime of living and working in the same locations, as with fishermen.
LEK is tied to place. In the marine realm it means knowing valuable fishing spots, spawning and nursery grounds, kelp and seaweed beds, shellfish beaches, and coral and sponge reefs.
In 2005, Living Oceans Society developed a LEK methodology for interviewing local fishermen and other marine stakeholders about areas of importance to their work. Every LEK interview we conduct with local people is considered an opportunity for discussion on ocean issues.
In 2007 we embarked on our Local Ecological Knowledge Project to compliment the work we undertook from 2002–2006 in our Fisheries Use Analysis.
