ORIGINAL PAPER A Qualitative Exploration of Fishing and Fish Consumption in the Gullah/Geechee Culture Jamelle H. Ellis • Daniela B. Friedman • Robin Puett • Geoffrey I. Scott • Dwayne E. Porter Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract The Gullah/Geechee (G/G) heritage is rooted in a culture largely dependent on fish and seafood as a pri- mary food source. Research suggests that African-Ameri- can (AA) fishers in the Southeastern US consume larger amounts of fish, potentially exposing them to higher environmental contaminant levels. This in-depth study was conducted to explore G/G and AA Sea Island attitudes, perceptions, and cultural beliefs about fishing in one urban and two rural South Carolina coastal counties. Results indicated that study participants in rural counties had slightly different perspectives of fishing (e.g. fishing as an essential dietary supplement) than in urban counties where fishing was viewed more as relaxation. Major mispercep- tions existed in all counties between fish consumption advisories related to pollution versus harvesting restrictions associated with fishing regulations. Providing clear, cul- turally tailored health messages regarding fish advisories will promote more informed choices about fish consump- tion that will minimize potential exposures to environ- mental pollutants. Keywords Community health Á Health communication Á Qualitative Á Motivations Á Fish consumption Introduction Gullah/Geechee (G/G) people are descendants of enslaved Africans who remained in cultural and geo- graphical isolation on the Sea Islands of the Southeast United States (US) coast from Wilmington, North Caro- lina to Jacksonville, Florida until the 1950s. The heritage of the G/G people is deeply rooted in a culture largely dependent on fish and seafood as a primary source of protein [1–3]. Decades of urban development have reduced the G/G population’s access to traditional fishing locations and has increased exposures to environmental contaminants in some watersheds that are frequently fished by G/G communities. Research suggests that African-American (AA) subsistence fishers in the South- eastern US may be more likely to consume larger amounts of fish [4–7], potentially exposing them to higher levels of environmental contaminants. The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth exploration of the motivations for fishing and fish con- sumption patterns of rural and urban residents in G/G and AA Sea Island communities. Gaining a better understanding of the perceptions and motivations for fishing and fish con- sumption can help identify why people make specific fish J. H. Ellis (&) Á D. E. Porter Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 518, Columbia, SC 29208, USA e-mail: Jamelle.ellis3@gmail.com D. B. Friedman Department of Health, Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Core Faculty, Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Suite 235, Columbia, SC 29208, USA R. Puett Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, 2234 School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA G. I. Scott Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA 123 J Community Health DOI 10.1007/s10900-014-9871-5