鄭肇祺。〈消失又重現於生活中的毛蟹：溪流、人與水生生物的互動關係〉。《民俗曲藝》219 (2023.3): 145-92。
Cheng Siu-kei Eric. “The Disappearance and Reappearance of the Mitten Crab in Daily Life: Interactions between Rivers, Humans, and Aquatic Animals.” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 219 (2023.3): 145-92.
Abstract
本文以原住民飲食文化出發，探討人、動物、移動物質（例：水、土）及友善環境美食學的互動關係。臺灣扁絨螯蟹（Eriocheir rectus）俗稱青毛蟹（mitten crab），廣泛分布於臺灣東部河川。春季時，成熟個體會到太平洋中產卵，六月底時幼體方才上溯河川繼續長大。其生活習性為喜於河溪兩側的卵石之間爬行穿梭，是過去臺東縣南迴地區排灣族人常見的水生生物，卻又日漸消失在其視線。為什麼毛蟹會逐漸消失於族人的生活經驗中？河溪流域的流水及縫隙，如何成為人與毛蟹接觸的空間？風土小旅行、漁獵文化與地方美食學的相互交織，為保育毛蟹生態、傳承排灣族文化及重現美食帶來什麼契機和挑戰？
於2019年7月起，筆者追蹤大竹高溪的毛蟹生命史（the social life of crab），利用田野及文獻研究，逐步勾畫排灣族、河溪與毛蟹的互相糾纏（entanglement），並探討環境變化中人、自然與「移動的物」（moving objects）的角色。本文試圖從獵人、傳統領袖、政府機關及小旅行服務提供者的角度，梳理當地與毛蟹相關的在地知識、技藝、文化記憶及政治經濟。本文亦將討論河溪治理的各種考量如何與排灣族就地取材、共同分享食物的文化習慣產生互動。藉此，本文回應飲食文化傳統的再創造中，後人類主義觀點及物性的重要性。
This paper discusses the interactive relationships
between humans, animals, moving objects (e.g., water and soil), and
eco-friendly gastronomy from the perspective of indigenous food culture. The mitten
crab (Eriocheir rectus) is native to eastern Taiwan’s rivers and
creeks. In the spring, mature crabs move downstream to the Pacific Ocean for mating
and brooding, while from late June the larvae crawl upstream and continue to
grow. Crawling between rocks and pebbles along rivers, the mitten crab is a common
aquatic animal usually seen by the Paiwan people in the South-link Region of
Taitung County. However, it is now gradually disappearing. Why has the mitten
crab become less visible in Paiwan people’s daily life? How do rivers and stones
become spaces for human-crab interaction? How does the interweaving of local
tourism, the Paiwanese culture of fishing and hunting, and local gastronomy
bring opportunities and challenges to various efforts to conserve mitten crab,
maintain Paiwanese culture, and reconstruct local gastronomy?
Since July 2019, I have traced the social life of
the mitten crab along the Dazhu River by conducting ethnographic fieldwork and second-hand
data analysis to shed light on the entanglement between the Paiwanese people, the
river, and the mitten crab. This paper examines the roles of humans, nature,
and moving objects in ecological changes. It investigates associated political
ecology, cultural memory, as well as local knowledge and skills from the perspectives
and experiences of hunters, traditional community leaders, government agencies,
and local tourism service providers. I also discuss the possibility of coproduction
of Paiwan people, scholars, and crabs regarding gastronomic tourism, and argue that
the Paiwanese culture of sharing food from the local environment can enhance opportunities
for gastronomic tourism. By responding to the reinvention of food tradition,
this paper contributes to theoretical discussions on posthumanism and materiality.