How is nutrition, health and wellbeing conceptualised in connection with seafood for coastal Indigenous Peoples’

Beau Cubillo (Corresponding Author), Natasha Stacey, Julie Brimblecombe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
246 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Coastal Indigenous people access and maintain customary connections to seafood for nourishment, livelihoods and Indigenous values. It is recognised that seafood contributes significantly to coastal Indigenous people's diets. Despite this, global fisheries sectors have overlooked the role seafood plays in contributing to nutritional, health and wellbeing outcomes of coastal Indigenous communities. Global entities have called for ‘nutrition sensitive policies’ to improve nutritional, health and wellbeing outcomes. The aim of this study was to apply an ‘Indigenist’ inquiry lens and ‘yarning’ as a method to further understand from an Indigenous perspective how concepts of nutritional, health and wellbeing outcomes are represented and connected to seafood. Research involved 16 Aboriginal informants, six women and ten men from a fishing enterprise, arts and culture centre and a women's centre with a connection to commercial and customary fishing in Maningrida community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 2019–2022. Key themes related to respecting of Elders, culture, country, Aboriginal nutrition, traditional medicinal knowledge, Aboriginal fishing enterprises, barriers to accessing seafood, lived experience, intergenerational knowledge transfer and interconnectedness. It is clear that fishing and access to seafood for Aboriginal people is a pathway to healthier food provision within coastal Indigenous communities. It needs to be recognised however, that Indigenous nutritional, health and wellbeing concepts and self-determination principles need to be integrated into ‘nutrition sensitive policies’ within fisheries and mariculture sectors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102434
JournalFood Policy
Volume116
Issue number102434
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
It is acknowledged that this research was supported by Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation including the Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre staff for logistical and administrative support special mention to Clément Bresson, Michelle Culprit, Rowan McIntyre and Ned Watt. The Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre board members are acknowledged for accepting and providing support for the research project in the community. It is also acknowledged that Don Wilton, Randall Darcy, Stuart Yiriwara and Jimmy Olsen generously provided their time, knowledge and personal stories. These members provided contextual knowledge of Maningrida including operational insight into the fishing enterprise in Maningrida and also provided feedback on the study design and findings. In addition, the authors also acknowledge the other informants not named who gave their time and shared valuable knowledge and personal stories. [2019-143] An investigation of Indigenous knowledges and nutritional health and wellbeing benefits and values of seafood for supporting Indigenous fisheries development is supported by funding from the Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian Government. The PhD student (BC) of this research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.

Funding Information:
It is acknowledged that this research was supported by Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation including the Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre staff for logistical and administrative support special mention to Clément Bresson, Michelle Culprit, Rowan McIntyre and Ned Watt. The Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre board members are acknowledged for accepting and providing support for the research project in the community. It is also acknowledged that Don Wilton, Randall Darcy, Stuart Yiriwara and Jimmy Olsen generously provided their time, knowledge and personal stories. These members provided contextual knowledge of Maningrida including operational insight into the fishing enterprise in Maningrida and also provided feedback on the study design and findings. In addition, the authors also acknowledge the other informants not named who gave their time and shared valuable knowledge and personal stories.

Funding Information:
[2019-143] An investigation of Indigenous knowledges and nutritional health and wellbeing benefits and values of seafood for supporting Indigenous fisheries development is supported by funding from the Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian Government.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023

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