Mass capture fishing in the Marquesas Islands

Archaeological evidence from Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands, reveals that mass capture fishing techniques for small fishes were significantly more prominent and sustained during the early settlement period than previously thought. This contradicts earlier assumptions about their limited importance in early Polynesian fisheries. The study analyzed fishbone assemblages using fine mesh screens and morphometric methods, identifying a preference for high-return capture strategies, possibly to avoid ciguatera-prone fishes or target less vulnerable species. These findings highlight geographic variation in early Marquesan fisheries and underscore the role of mass capture technologies in the maritime toolkits of East Polynesian fishers.

Nims, R., Pillay, P., & Allen, M. S. (2024). Mass capture fishing in the Marquesas Islands. Archaeology in Oceania, 59(2), 234–250. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.5320