Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - June 10, 2024 - Marine conservationists are utilizing generational methods from Indigenous groups to achieve environmental aims.

Indigenous peoples, 6% of the global population, protect 80% of biodiversity.

Understanding native species behaviour and land and shoreline needs is part of indigenous knowledge. The natural world influences their daily existence, religion, culture, and decision-making. Indigenous tribes educate scientists ocean conservation using generations-old expertise.

Belizean shark fishers help researchers study sharks and advise the government on shark conservation regulations. Researchers are now paying these fishers to observe Caribbean shark activity, gaining new insights. As pollution, overtourism, and excessive sea warming destroy coral ecosystems, Australian scientists and Traditional Owners are fighting to save the Great Barrier Reef. Traditional Owners are incorporating Aboriginal knowledge into reef restoration initiatives due to their intimate connection.

Hawaii-based NGO Kuleana works to restore damaged coral reefs to their natural state without human intervention.

The group is founded in Hawaiian tradition, where Natives practiced sustainability before it was popularized. Scientists and researchers follow the saying "In order to move forward, we must look to the past" at the organization.

Indigenous groups are underappreciated for supporting biodiversity, but merging traditional knowledge with Western science might help conserve biodiversity.

Traditional knowledge enhances conservation efforts, and many initiatives are backed by larger institutions and corporations.

Generational knowledge can help indigenous groups reclaim their ecosystems and autonomy on their islands and abroad. The World Bank calls Indigenous peoples "The Natural but Often Forgotten Partners."