The key is sustainable utilization - not taking more from the earth's natural system than it can provide. In many wetlands, fishermen set traps and floats to catch only as much as they need, but no more. They go about their daily business in small boats, often hand-crafted from local trees. They extract tannins from mangroves to preserve their nets and lines, and may burn small amounts of fuelwood for fish smoking. On the west coast of Sri Lanka, stilt fishermen perch on single poles, cast their lines and wait patiently for passing shoals.
Stilt positions are highly prized and are often family-owned, passed from father to son.
Other people in wetland communities turn natural resources into cooking oils and sugar, vinegar and incense - all reaped carefully and sustainably from wetland plants. Villagers may also harvest fruit and ferment drinks, while others burn charcoal or keep colonies of bees for honey and wax. Wetlands not only provide vital sustenance for humans, but they are also a life-source for wildlife and domestic animals. In parts of Africa, nomads move their cattle from place to place as receding floods leave huge quantities of rich floodplains in their wake. They have lived this life in harmony with the seasons for many generations - as indeed has wildlife such as the Kafue lechwe, a kind of antelope, which has naturally adapted to its environment over hundreds of years.