Chang, Shenglin Elijah and You-Ren Chung (2022) Defining “Tao-Style” Equality of Fishing Allocations as the Small-Scale Fishing Cultural Heritage in Lanyu, Taiwan. Okinawan Journal of Island Studies 3(1): 97-114.
Abstract We advocate Tao-style (adjustable or contradictory) equality, which offers an alternative vision of resource sharing and community collaboration beyond the traditional currency-based worldview. Based on qualitative research and participatory observation, we provide evidence of fi shing allocations from three small fi shing communities on Lanyu Island. We demonstrate that the notion of equality in Tao culture is anticapitalist. More importantly, by analyzing community-based fi shing allocations of the Tao, we identify two recognizable qualities—islandness and the culture of small fi shers—that have not been discussed in recent studies of the indigenous Tao. We conclude that traditional means of production are essential for small island societies. To balance the economic development of small islands worldwide, researchers, scholars, and policymakers should learn more about these small fi sheries.