I travel in airplanes, drive when I could bike, use a gas mower instead of a push mower, and nudge up the thermostat (even while wearing a sweater) when working at home. In Thailand, don't touch the head of someone older than you, or, in general, don't touch the head at all. Use of the term has declined in the twenty-first century according to Google’s ngram, perhaps reflecting our growing tolerance for unconventional values. A belief that eating the wrong kind of food will poison the spirit is a taboo, while simply finding a food to be disgusting or physically unhealthy is not. Probably. (When I moved to the high plains thirty years ago, the standard planting date to avoid a late frost was June 1.) Finding a single brand name that works universally in terms of pronunciation, meaning, and “ownability” is a monumental challenge.
11 We defined “taboo” to mean a strong cultural warning or prohibition against an action, such that violating a taboo is an act of serious aberrance which can result in feelings of guilt or shame and/or direct or indirect social sanction. If fishers are in fact capturing a disproportionally large number of gravid females, then even a small catch rate may have a significant impact to the region's sea turtle populations.Long term sea turtle recovery will require efforts of the global community to decrease mortality and increase protection of habitats. Most fishers reported catching leatherbacks, olive ridleys, and green turtles, with incidence rates of 75–80% across sites (Table Across all sites, 33 of 34 respondents (97%) asserted that their communities protect sea turtles, but not all relate it to the existence of a taboo (Table The majority (86%) of fishers in each village are aware that laws protect sea turtles from harm. The key informants are community leaders within the traditional authority of the area. PA also provided oversight to the implementation of the project and then assisted with data analysis and a significant amount of writing and editing. Sometimes I fall short of what is possible. Descriptive statistics are presented to identify trends within, and among, fishing communities and to provide accounts of discrepancies across the research topics. In terms of conservation, official regulation can aid in filling the cultural gap left by the loss of taboos that would otherwise protect animals and habitat. Although a few fishers reported sea turtles are captured year-round, most reported that turtles are captured only during the dry season from November through May. Another possibility is the French word A taboo refers to social and religious restrictions. We report interview data from three ethnic groups to explore local knowledge of sea turtles, knowledge of taboos and federal regulations, and their attitudes toward protecting sea turtles.Ghana is located in the western portion of the Gulf of Guinea and contains 535 km of coastline (Figure Akwidaa is situated at 4°45′0N and 2°1′0W in the southernmost district of Ahanta West in the Western region. Or what should I make of the fellow at the Laramie garden center telling me that planting seedlings in early May might be sensible this year? 20 Cultural Taboos 1. And I’ll even admit to enjoying the Indy 500—an unconscionable celebration of the internal combustion engine, even if the cars run on ethanol, since we all know how much fossil fuel is burnt to produce the corn to make the ethanol (taboos can get pretty complicated).Hypocritical? We selected only fishers for this study because they have more direct interactions with sea turtles and are considered a primary stakeholder when promoting sea turtle conservation in the region. The fishers keep the remaining fish for consumption with their immediate family members.Fishing is the primary occupation for 92% of all respondents, with only four individuals indicating they have alternative employment when not fishing (Table track2ptA large majority of fishers (84% across sites) believe their catch has decreased over the years because of a reduction in fish populations across the region. Fear creates a belief that the taboo behavior will lead to some sort of physical harm or deterioration of society. The fishers advised that a catch is typically unintentional and not desirable. Front. This paper extends the argument that sea turtle conservation strategies succeed when the cultural and social traditions of local communities are integrated with management activities.Sea turtle conservation efforts around the world have historically incorporated the interests and views of local people. Fishers in the communities that are aware of the taboo are also more willing to adjust fishing methods to better protect sea turtles. Key informants were not given an individual compensation, but school supplies, footballs, and clothes were donated to the chief of Ada and two nearby communities.All interviews were translated to English and coded per question. Two individuals then translated each answer to English. So I contribute more than my fair share to global warming.And what am I to make of the meteorologist speaking of “nice weather” in February when temperatures hit the low 50s rather than struggling to reach the high 20s? But there is growing evidence that informal institutions such as, taboos can be extremely effective at promoting wildlife conservation. Likewise, someone that believes marriage equality “tears apart the social fabric” may be a vocal opponent, but they don’t have the f… The catch is divided among the fishermen in proportions that are negotiated before each fishing trip. Winneba's location in central Ghana makes the town much more ethnically diverse than Ada, with individuals from clans that do not recognize the sea turtle taboo, but also from clans that do (All communities are aware of the laws protecting sea turtles regardless of whether the taboo is prevalent.