Abstract

This paper aims to explain the meaning of ‘hái-lōo,’ a Hokkien term which is used daily by fishermen in Taiwan, and then explore how an understanding of ‘hái-lōo’ can assist field workers to study fishing communities and marine fisheries. This paper is divided into three parts. First, I introduce the emergence of maritime anthropology in the United States in the 1970s, and suggest using maritime anthropologists’ studies, especially critiques of the commons and reflections on resources management, to examine fisheries in the Taiwan context. In the second part, after the introduction of the history of marine fisheries and the harbor at Nanfang’ao, I explain the moment and the experience of learning the meaning of ‘hái-lōo’ from fishermen. ‘Hái-lōo’ is not only fishing gear and methods, but also various ways of knowing and interacting with marine nature and animals. Thirdly, by using ‘hái-lōo’ as a heuristic tool and the basis for anthropological theory, I briefly discuss three topics: fishing as a skill, learning ecological knowledge through fishing, and how fishermen engage in resource management.