“You Can\u27t Eat Money When You Are Hungry”: Campesinos, Manatee Hunting, and Environmental Regret in Veracruz, Mexico

Self-identified campesinos were interviewed in rural Veracruz, Mexico as part of this qualitative research study. Participants had firsthand historical knowledge about hunting the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) or about preparing the manatee for human consumption. The lagoon ecosystem that surrounds the area is greatly degraded and its contemporary inhabitants speak of the past with a great deal of wistfulness and a sense of loss characterized as “environmental regret.” The study examines the evolving local environmental and cultural practices, attitudes, and circumstances