Ethnoecology and Tokelauan fishing lore from Atafu atoll, Tokelau

Marine exploitation has various cultural implications. In this paper we discuss Tokelauan fishing lore, focusing on fishing practices, technologies and materials, and relate these to fish ecology. We examine the Tokelauan classification of the marine ecosystem and the ethnoecology of fish and molluscs, particularly focusing on Tokelauan folk taxonomy and ecological knowledge related to the behaviour of fish and other marine life.