Coastal Indigenous people eat 15 times more seafood than non-Indigenous, study reveals
UBC study of 600 ethnic groups shows coastal Indigenous people worldwide consume 74 kg of seafood per capita
A new study out of the University of British Columbia could change the way policies regarding fisheries and Indigenous human rights are considered.
The study found coastal Indigenous people eat on average 15 times more seafood per person than non-Indigenous communities within the same country.
Lead researcher Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor says these findings show the scale and significance of seafood consumption by Indigenous people.
The unprecedented global-scale study estimates that coastal Indigenous people around the world consume 74 kilograms of seafood per capita, compared to the global average of 19 kilograms.
"This global database shows the scale and significance of seafood consumption by Indigenous people," said Cisneros-Montemayor.
"For Indigenous people who are not recognized at the state level, this type of resource helps quantify the resources they depend on."
The study drew from a database of more than 1,900 communities.
Those communities consume 2.1-million metric tonnes of seafood every year.
The communities studied include recognized Indigenous groups, self-identified minority groups, and small island developing states.
These groups all share similar histories of marginalization and deep social and cultural connections to marine environments.
It highlights the reliance of Indigenous communities on marine resources and their increasing vulnerability to climate and ecosystem changes — prompting the need to consider their cultural identity when discussing marine wildlife policies.
