Essential Waters - Paper!

Intrepid and indefatigable - co-authors Kerstin and Gauthier, and Tom! Source.

Behold!

All I can say is, at long last!

This has taken three interminable years of braving the weather very much including the historic TC Winston and navigating a myriad of  imponderabilia very much including plenty of the usual indigenous shenanigans and squillions of always famished namus, both of the flying and bipedal kind - not to mention the desperate advances of the infamous desperate expate housewives, let alone the even desperater expat singles!

So first and foremost, a big BRAVO, I'm mighty impressed for having stayed the course in the face of all those never-ending adversities - and I can most certainly leave it at that, the more as I trust that anybody with even the slightest knowledge of life in the SoPac will most definitely understand! :)

So there you have it.

This is the result of three years of mostly incredibly tedious fishing for juvenile Bull Sharks in the Rewa, Navua and Sigatoka. Taken in isolation, it once again confirms that Fiji's rivers harbor juvenile Bull Sharks, and that the likely parturition season coincides with when we observe that our big pregnant Bull Shark mommas leave the SRMR. 

Talking of which: so far the most likely candidates for 2019 are Shark Icon Tip and our usual Shark Superstar Brenda who will never forego the chance of some hanky panky with Whitenose - so what are you waiting for!

But that's just part of the story.

Our Bull Shark research is definitely coming full circle, and as time goes by and more data are being acquired and analyzed, you can expect more revelations about the nurseries but also likely population size, kinship, paternity and eventually, even philopatry - so keep watching this space! 

Great blog post by Kerstin here.
Enjoy!

Fiji: Protection of the Shark Nurseries?

Juvenile GHH in the Ba - source.

Read this.

This is of course excellent news.

It's not done quite yet - but having the chiefs support Shark conservation is obviously a huge step in the right direction. There is increasing evidence for Fiji featuring multiple Shark nurseries, for Bulls but also Scalloped and Great Hammers and other species like e.g. Lemons in and around its major rivers; but alas, it appears equally clear that those Sharks are being subjected to massive targeted and incidental fishing pressure that is dramatically impinging on their chances for survival - the good news being that having been alerted, Fisheries are doing something about it.

So let this be a beginning.

Co-host Fiji is about to unveil its commitments at the UN Ocean Conference - so here's to there being something about Sharks!

Fingers crossed!
 

Fiji Bull Sharks - full Circle!

Kerstin - intrepid and extremely successful!

Finally!

We've detected two of our pregnant Bulls in one of our rivers!

Despite of our best efforts and more than a dozen years of research into the life history of Fiji's Bull Sharks, coming up with concrete evidence linking Shark Reef to one of the putative river nurseries has always eluded us as the tags would come off and the frequent floods would wash away the receiver arrays. But we've persevered, tinkered with the hardware, tagged a dozen pregnant Bulls in October and deployed new receivers in several rivers - and bingo, and this despite of the horrendous weather and floods a fortnight ago! With this having been little more than a small trial run, expect much, much more of the same next year!

And the river are teeming with babies!

This is obviously recruitment time, and Kerstin and her assistants from Projects Abroad and  the USP are reporting impressive numbers from all monitored rivers - the bad news being that absent any management let alone protection, the little Sharks are being obliterated by the local fishermen. 

This may well explain the disappointing numbers later in the year and is of course cause for grave concern, not least because it is also directly impacting on the long-term viability of Fiji's thriving Shark diving industry. But now that we have the evidence, we shall certainly go and speak to the powers that be - so fingers crossed!

To be continued no doubt.

Happy New Year everybody - may 2017 bring many more fantastic adventures!

Sharks in the Navua River - Paper!

Zero gravitas: Kira, Josh and El Diego - source.

Remember Victor?

No?

Sure you do - that's the dude who  investigated the presence of Sharks in Fiji's rivers using LEK and TEK and later on, by fishing for Sharks in the nearby Navua.

Back then I said that there needed to be follow-up.

And there has been, and here is the paper.

Courtesy of Project Abroad's Shark Program, it documents a further extensive LEK survey along with 385 hours of fishing that yielded 2 juvenile Sicklefin Lemons and two juvenile Scalloped Hammers in the estuary, plus only a measly 9 juvenile Bull Sharks - meaning that a) either the breathy hype was totally unwarranted or b) that El Diego actually knows what he's doing but that something has changed compared to 2010 when Victor was able to catch 5 Bulls in a fraction of that time.

My vote goes to the latter - reluctantly!

Once again, the bloody peer review has nixed what I believe is the most important aspect, i.e. that in the meantime, the Navua has been subjected to massive dredging for gravel in mid-river, along with further dredging at the river mouth. Think that maybe, there could be a correlation with the reduction in juveniles as this may have spooked the pregnant females and/or chased away the juveniles and/or  destroyed important nursery habitat?

But who I am to say - right?

Anyway, the investigation continues.

Keep watching this space!

PS - and talking of possible Shark nurseries in Fiji, read this!
       Very well done Tom!

El Diego!

 

¡Ay! Que guapo!

So this is he, the piscatorial pride of Colombia.

Standing, ecstatically - by popular demand!
Sorry no bikini clad "disenfranchised youth" quite yet - but we're working on it!

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie!

Diego Cardeñosa inserting a tiny PIT tag for estimating the population size via mark-recapture - source.

Bravo!

We got ourselves another minuscule Bull Shark!

Kudos to Projects Abroad's Shark supremo Diego for having doggedly persevered and finally managed to hit the right combination of habitat, current, temperature and salinity!

May this be the start of many more such exploits?

We shall see. For now, it's an A+ for sheer determination - the question being, is this the pathway to triumphal glory or will it lead to utter piscatorial ignominy instead?

No pressure!

Baby Bulls!

Finally!

So here they are.

These are this year's first tiny baby Fiji Bulls that are getting the treatment by the volunteers of Projects Abroad. Congratulations to the intrepid fishermen, to Gary who showed them how to do it and to Juerg who found the time to attend and oversee the science.

Lovely album here.

Kudos!

Shark Conservation and Research in Fiji - new Volunteer Program!

Our new partners in crime! :)

And now, to some really great news!

Behold!

Projects Abroad has just unveiled their latest, and I may add, greatest program and I invite you to check it out here.

I say, awesome!

This has been quite a process.

We've been pondering and negotiating about this for a very long time indeed as we wanted to make absolutely certain that our involvement would result in good science enabling us to further expand on our ongoing conservation projects.

In practice, that meant 

• obtaining the cooperation and oversight of reputable researchers, along with adequate funding
• formulating relevant research projects instead of the all-too-common volunteer fluff
• putting into place a stable local long-term project management structure where we would retain an important role in terms of project oversight and leadership
• ensuring adequate accountability in terms of progress, timeliness, budgetary discipline, communication etc, the lack of which has so often fatally crippled similar ventures, especially in the SoPac
• and last but by no means last, avoiding any undue interference by any of the usual outside interests!

All of which I'm happy to say has been achieved!

Projects Abroad have been nothing short of stellar.

This is largely due to the Project Manager who brings to the table the rarest of combinations, i.e. a profound knowledge and passion for marine conservation paired with rock-solid project management skills, business sense and pragmatism. And, she's a dive instructor and highly experienced Shark diver with years of experience working in our industry! How much better than that can it get!

She will be in Fiji supervising the logistical setup and initial implementation of the various projects, and we could really not have asked for a better partner!

And the projects?

More will be revealed in due course - but in general terms, here's what we will be focusing on, this in parallel with the GFSC and in view of eventually helping to formulate robust data-based Shark conservation plans

• Bull Sharks: nurseries, early life stages from riverine to reef-dwelling, reproductive and possibly natal philopatry, parentage analysis, population assessments, etc

• MPAs: long term effects on Elasmobranch abundance and species composition

In addition, notable activities will consist in

• Mangroves: continuation and expansion of MFF - where incidentally, excellent new developments are looming!

• Shark and marine conservation outreach

• eventually, cooperation with selected tertiary education institutions, NGOs and even government entities - when and where appropriate and mutually beneficial

Long story short?

If you're interested in making a hands-on contribution to cutting-edge and important Shark research and marine conservation projects under the guidance of some of the word's leading experts (!), this is the program for you - and this pretty much regardless of your previous experience as there will be a useful role for everybody, from total newbie to fully fledged university graduate!

Incidentally, this is not an alternative to the High School and College summer programs with our long-term partner Broadreach where activities are centered around attending Shark courses and diving within the SRMR, and vice versa!
Where theirs is education within the framework a summer camp, this is about partaking in ongoing research and conservation projects where activities are not centered around the SRMR - but don't worry, you will be given the opportunity to do a bit of epic Shark diving as well! :)

So, what are you waiting for!

Bad News from Chumphon Pinnacle!

That was then - likely a juvenile Bull Shark on Chumphon Pinnacle

Remember the pink website of Robin and Richard?

Alas, this may well be a thing of the past.
I just stumbled across this depressing blog post informing us that the Sharks have basically disappeared. I've never dived there but learn that Chumphon Pinnacle was one of the Gulf of Thailand's best dive sites, with the regular sighting of those Sharks being the big drawing card. Now the apparently still ongoing debate about the species will never be resolved - although I assert that the animals depicted are certainly not (!) Grey Reefs but very likely juvenile Bulls or alternatively, the very similar Pigeye Sharks that feature equally broad and slightly falcate first dorsal fins.

All very sad and alas, so very typical. :(
Or may it be as trivial as the Sharks having gone somewhere else due to the increased popularity and thus, the increased disturbance by divers?

LEK and TEK - now online!

Brilliant pic by Lupo!

From the paper.

SUMMARY

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) have the potential to improve community-based coastal resource management (CBCRM) by providing information about the presence, behaviour and ecology of species.
This paper explores the potential of LEK and TEK to identify shark river habitats in Fiji, learn how locals regard and use sharks, and capture ancestral legends and myths that shed light on relationships between these animals and local people.

Interviews with representatives from 22 villages, communities and fishing settlements associated with seven riverine areas on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu confirmed the presence of sharks in estuaries and rivers on Fiji.
Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.) and larger sharks were reported being close to the rivermouths, whereas an unknown species of small size with a rounded snout was reported up to >30 km upriver.

Local people consume shark meat as a source of protein, but sharks also have a rich background in ancestral stories and play an important part in Fijian myths and legends, resulting in the support of conservation measures by local villagers.

To our knowledge, our data currently constitute the largest data set of its kind for Fiji and provide the foundation for future investigations into Fijian shark river habitats.
These results encourage consideration of ecological knowledge as an important source of information in data-poor areas. They can advance community-based coastal resource management by making a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge concerning critical habitats and their fauna, and offer insight into how conservation measures can best be implemented, taking into account local people’s needs, traditional values and beliefs.

Keywords: ancestral myths, bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, community-based coastal resource management, local ecological knowledge, nursery ground, shark god, Shark Reef Marine Reserve, traditional ecological knowledge.

Building on Victor's initial term paper, this is both Victor's and Eroni's first proper scientific publication, and Juerg must be commended for having generously relegated himself to third rank, and for having patiently (!!!) coached them through the extremely tedious editing and peer reviewing process.

In the meantime, progress has been extensive.
Since we first blogged about it last year, our rivers work has been the subject of a brilliant local TV show and developed into a fully fledged own project whereby we continue to catch and analyze the juveniles and will shortly start new research aimed at documenting their life cycle in the rivers and eventually, if we're incredibly lucky, even at tracking their way out into the Ocean.
Wouldn't it be just so cool if one of them ended up coming to Shark Reef!

As always, keep watching this space!

Very cool!

Nice pic by Victor!

Check this out.

It's by Victor Maginnity, one of the co-perpetrators of this year's search for the Bull Shark nurseries.
Victor has been exceptionally busy ever since, having submitted a fabulous university paper that has earned him 91 out of a possible 100 points and co-authored his very first proper scientific paper that is hopefully going to be published soon.

He has just popped by for a short visit and we have agreed upon a rough outline of how we want to proceed going forward, always with the consent and under the guidance of Juerg.
In essence, we need to catch or otherwise conclusively identify the Sharks, after which we will strive to learn more about their life cycle in Fiji's rivers. Wouldn't it be just spectacularly cool if one day, one of our river Sharks would turn up on Shark Reef!

Anyway, here are some impressions of the places they went in June.

River Sharks - no Drama!

Bum - very pregnant!

Did I really say tomorrow???
Well, as we all now, Time is relative. Enter Fiji Time, like Tonga Time a hitherto largely overlooked third consequence of Einstein's Theories of Relativity!

But here it is...
Stan and Jone have once again done an outstanding job and delivered a well-rounded and informative piece of pro-Shark media.
You may want to note how real Pacific Islanders perceive Sharks as a natural and unspectacular element of the Marine ecosystem: none of drama and stupid generalizations that are so typical of the various pundits and armchair warriors polluting the blogosphere and the mainstream media. Case in point, check out this evil abomination: mind you, "reporting" about the exact same topic!
And compare it to the hysterical hypocrisy of the so-called "natives" over in Hawaii!

This, and an upcoming spectacular paper by Eroni, Victor and Juerg are the results of our road trip in July where we set out to find Fiji's Bull Shark nurseries. We have found them - and much more!
As always, keep watching this space!

What really blows me is the interview with Rusi..
If anybody deserved the title of Shark Whisperer, it would really be him.
He is normally silent and outright humble - but put him in front of one of his beloved Sharks and his personality changes completely and his understanding of the animals and the way he interacts with them are just simply totally unreal. Over the years, we've hosted our fair share of visiting "experts" - and every single one of them has told us how incredibly impressed they were by how Rusi handles the big Sharks.
I cannot begin to tell you how personally rewarding it is to now see him come out of his shell and talk (!) for minutes (!) about the need to protect them!
Vinaka Rusi, you are simply the best!

Gary is of course one of my heroes.
He has been part and parcel of the Fiji Shark Project since its inception and regularly pops by to inspect its progress and to assist in Juerg's ongoing research projects. His help and his guidance have been invaluable and the Fiji Shark Dive is as much his baby as it is ours - and I may add: much to the contrary of the progress in the help and guidance Juerg and yours truly are trying to extend to Gary! That has been an abject failure!
But we shall persevere!

But as usual, I'm digressing.
So here it is: Enjoy!

TEK!

As in Traditional Ecological Knowledge!

That's what our Eroni and Bay of Plenty Polytechnic undergrad Victor are presently gathering.
Victor contacted us a while ago asking whether he could join in for some research and we took that as a pretext to initiate phase two of our effort to understand and then, to protect Fiji's Bull Shark population.

It's a well known fact that the pregnant Bulls migrate to rivers in order to give birth. In fact, they may even be philopatric and always go back to the same rivers.
Rivers and estuaries are ideal Shark nurseries as they harbor many juvenile fishes as prey and also offer some protection against attacks by marine predators, as in big Groupers and other Sharks.
It is our aim to identify Fiji's Bull Shark nurseries as we would very much like to succeed in protecting the gravid females on their perilous voyage to and from those locations - and of course, we'd like to protect the youngsters as well.

As we speak, Roni and Victor are traveling around the country, conducting interviews with people on those rivers, collecting water samples - and sampling huge quantities of grog in the process!


The results so far are nothing short of spectacular as they are discovering a wealth of hitherto untapped traditional and sometimes, even ancestral knowledge about the animals and their behavior. They are also discovering that Fiji's rivers harbor a variety of Sharks and not only Bulls, although the latter are the only ones able to subsist in the upper reaches that are pure fresh water. All very intriguing and exciting - and loads of fun on top of that!

Once they come back, we will determine the most promising locations for deploying some of our acoustic receivers - and should we be so lucky to get a ping from one of our tagged females in November, the circle will have been completed.

Will this all be enough for Eroni's Masters thesis?
Sure it will, amply - and for some new papers by Juerg as well!
As always, keep watching this space!