School of Applied Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Technology, Fiji National University, Suva P.O. Box 15676, Fiji.
School of Education, Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji.
Toxins (Basel). 2023 Mar 16;15(3):223. doi: 10.3390/toxins15030223.
Fish poisoning (FP) affects human health, trade and livelihood in Fiji, where management has depended mainly on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This paper investigated and documented this TEK through a 2-day stakeholder workshop, group consultation, in-depth interviews, field observations, and analyses of survey data from the Ministry of Fisheries, Fiji. Six TEK topics were identified and classified as preventative and treatment options. The preventive approach involves identifying toxic reef fishes, the spawning season of edible seaworms, hotspot areas of toxic fishes, folk tests, and locating and removing toxic organs. For example, 34 reef fish species were identified as toxic. The FP season was associated with the spawning of (edible seaworm) and the warmer months of October to April (cyclone seasons). Two well-known toxic hotspots associated with an abundance of (soft coral) were identified. Folk tests and locating and removing toxic fish organs are also practised for moray eels and pufferfish. At the same time, various locally available herbal plants are used to treat FP as the second line of defence. The TEK collated in this work can help local authorities better identify the sources of toxicity, and applying TEK preventive measures could stem the tide of fish poisoning in Fiji.
鱼类中毒（FP）影响斐济的人类健康、贸易和生计，其管理主要依赖于传统生态知识（TEK）。本文通过为期两天的利益相关者研讨会、小组咨询、深入访谈、实地观察以及对斐济渔业部调查数据的分析，调查和记录了这些 TEK。确定并分类了六个 TEK 主题，作为预防和治疗选择。预防方法包括识别有毒礁鱼、可食用海虫的繁殖季节、有毒鱼类的热点区域、民间测试以及定位和去除有毒器官。例如，确定了 34 种礁鱼为有毒鱼类。FP 季节与（可食用海虫）的繁殖以及 10 月至 4 月（气旋季节）的温暖月份有关。确定了与丰富的（软珊瑚）相关的两个著名的有毒热点地区。民间测试以及定位和去除有毒鱼器官也用于海鳗和河豚。同时，各种当地可用的草药植物被用于治疗 FP，作为第二道防线。这项工作中收集的 TEK 可以帮助地方当局更好地识别毒性来源，并且应用 TEK 预防措施可以遏制斐济的鱼类中毒潮。
