Fiji - bad News for Sharks!

Brilliant! Brand new pic by the BAD Viking!

Patric is absolutely correct.
The Fiji Times has published an excellent piece about the need to protect our Sharks. Apart from the known ecological consequences of a decline in Shark population, the economic case for protecting Sharks in Fiji could not be clearer.
Fiji's thriving Shark tourism industry is generating ten times as much as the revenues from the Shark fin trade - and whereas the latter will inevitably dwindle as Fiji's Sharks are being killed, Shark tourism is completely non-extractive and likely to contribute even higher earnings in the future.

But time is running out.
Sharks are essentially a non-renewable resource and whilst Government appears to be pondering the best course of action, there are now clear indications that local stocks are already critically depleted. The article points out that fisheries data indicate that the larger animals have already been dispatched and that the coastal fishermen are now targeting the juveniles as per this recent report from Nadi.

And now this.
Following their Shark Count in April, the Mamanuca Environment Society reports that Whitetip and Blacktip numbers have crashed.
The Mamanucas are situated at the very epicenter of Fiji's tourism industry and these news could not be more alarming as this is directly threatening the ecological integrity of one of our preeminent tourism attractions. And whereas I applaud the Society for trying to educate the local fishermen, years of painful experience teach me that as long as catching and even finning Sharks remain both perfectly legal and lucrative, and people desperately poor, there will always be somebody trying to catch the last Sharks irrespective of the wishes of the community and even the Chiefs.

Then, maybe, the news may not be quite so grim.
The Mamanucas were particularly affected by the April floods, meaning that the Sharks may have reacted to the catastrophic deluge of fresh water, possibly by relocating further offshore. This at least is my hope, meaning that the next count in November may yield a less depressing picture.

Still, the need for immediate protection could not be more pressing.
Fingers crossed that the Authorities will come to the same conclusions and do the right thing real soon.

The Consultation - Report!

These Sharks are worth millions - great pic by Andrej Narchuk.

Interesting article about the consultation.

My thoughts on the matter in general are here.
In brief

• The local fishing industry is a vital component of Fiji's economy and it is extremely important that it be protected and kept vibrant. The blanket criticism of the fishing sector is unbecoming.
  


• For the industry to survive, it must focus on sustainability which presently means that they should probably catch less. Full sustainability also mandates bycatch mitigation.
  


• They can however compensate for the loss in volume by having the fishery certified like that of the PNA, as consumers will pay a premium for sustainably caught fish.


• After the recent fiasco at the last WCPFC meeting, I'm incresingly of the opinion that we should follow the example of the PNA and stop allowing distant nations to interfere with the management of the Pacific fish stocks - hell, were it for me I would also stop giving fishing licenses to those foreign fleets and have those nations buy the Fiji-caught Tuna from the Fijian processing plants!


• Leave those Sharks alone. At current depletion rates, this is at best a short-term fad and will certainly not save the Tuna industry. Catching them is completely unsustainable and the depletion of Shark stocks has wide ranging and largely irreversible consequences for the fishing sector as a whole but also, for tourism and the nation's overall ecological and cultural integrity. Of interest, Mr. Lagibalavu is a representative of the Bêche-de-mer industry that is wreaking havoc on our coastal Sharks.


• I would certainly not oppose (read the link before you get angry!) an independently certified sustainable food fishery for Sharks - however only once stocks have recovered and only if fully sustainable.
  

Here's to Government doing the right thing real soon!

Fiji Times - more pro-Shark media!

Another brilliant pic from Timbo's latest crop - click for detail!

Bravo Fiji Times!
When they announced that they were partnering with CORAL and Pew in advocating the protection of Sharks, they really did mean it!

This latest article highlights the connection to Hong Kong.
Fiji has recently become an important turntable for Shark fins that are shipped here from as far as Vanuatu and Kiribas and then shipped on to Asia, this to the tune of, I hear, more than 100 metric tons per year.
That's a whole lotta Sharks!

Hence the importance of the Fiji legislation.
If it comes to be, it will not only preserve Fiji's natural resources but even contribute to maintaining a healthy balance in the waters of our neighbors, far and near.
Fingers crossed!

David in the Fiji Times!

David on D2, sporting his dazzlingly brilliant Mancunian tan - the question being, has anything changed since!

The Fiji Times series of Shark-related articles continues.

This time, it is Shark Smitten, a piece about David's sharky quest and of the goals he wanted to achieve whilst in Fiji. It is of course way too flattering and now that the film team has finally! left our shores, you can all look forward to a totally unbiased exclusive eye witness account of their Fijian adventures - and lemme tell 'ya, it's gonna be pretty shocking stuff!

Shortly, it shall be revealed

• whose little heart was broken
  
• who laid on his stomach & screamed like a girl
• who became a predator in order to understand the predator
• who was cowardly abandoned in the arena all alone & surrounded by large predatory Sharks
• who shall never, ever again get anywhere near a can of Heineken, ever!
• and above all, who went home with a tan and who did not!

Keep watching this space!

More excellent Sharky Stories by the Fiji Times!

Adi, by MPO - yes those are links!

Today's Fiji Times features a stunning two-page spread on Sharks.
This is a continuation of their stellar advocacy of Shark protection in cooperation with CORAL The Coral Reef Alliance and the Pew Environment Group's global shark campaign.
Thank you Shark Defenders for having re-posted the articles.

How Jaws made the shark a monster in our minds is authored by Lee-Anne Lee of the Fiji Voyaging Society.
She's aboard board the drua Uto Ni Yalo and about to reach San Francisco after an epic voyage of close to 11,00 nautical miles. On board is also Moala Tokota'a of CORAL and it just so happens that our Arthur was one of the crew of the 2010 maiden voyage and that Ratu Manoa is very much involved in the undertaking, hence the connection to Sharks conservation.

The angry fisherman who turned into a shark is of particular interest to us here at BAD.
This is the story of the Fijian Shark God Dakuwaqa as told by Mika Tubanavau, storyteller of the village of Rukua. Rukua on Beqa Island is the home of our most senior staff Rusi, Manasa and Eliki, and of Tumbee, Manasa's son - and according to Beqa lore, a cave behind the village is the very place where Dakuwaqa resides!
I was fascinated by how the legend as told here complements the legend as told in Cakaudrove, with the tiny island of Benau off Taveuni being the obvious common link between the two. To this day, both tribes are engaged in a friendly feud as to who can claim to be the true people of Dakuwaqa.

And then, there is this Letter to the Editor.

I READ with great interest in your newpaper about the efforts of a number of organisations and people to protect the sharks.
Their efforts are great.
Yet, almost on a daily basis, I notice that there are middleman selling fish at the Nubukalou Creek cutting and packing sharks in plastic bags for sale.
I have noticed that they also get in baby shark - up to a metre - and just go on with their business. I think Suva City Council ought to do something.
And I request Mr Manoa Rasigatale to visit them and discourage the shark meat sellers.

JAGDISH LAL
Suva

This touches on the real crux of the problem.
Nubukalou Creek is a notorious site in the middle of Suva where fish vendors hawk the daily catches. Many of the fishing skiffs feature disproportionally powerful engines, a strong indication that they belong to those poachers who regularly raid the qoliqoli, or traditional fishing grounds of offshore islands. The Sharks that are being offered for sale are mostly Reef Sharks like Blacktips and Greys, and this nefarious practice is a direct and largely irreversible threat to our reef habitats and by extension, to the livelihood of entire coastal communities that depend on the ocean for their daily sustenance.
Right now, fishing for Sharks is perfectly legal and there is precious little that either the Suva City Council or even Ratu Manoa can do. This is yet another reason why it is imperative to immediately ban all trade in Sharks and Shark products in Fiji.

Fiji Times on the Guardian of the Sea!

Wallpaper Bulls by MPO - coming up soon!

Bravo Fiji Times!
As far as I know, this is Fiji's largest daily newspaper and it is highly gratifying to see that they have decided to align themselves with Pew and CORAL in publishing a series of articles highlighting the enormous importance Sharks have for the country, this both from an economical and ecological but very much also from a cultural aspect.

This is timely and necessary.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, there will be backlash as witnessed by the disappointing statements from the fishing industry. But I remain optimistic: the arguments in favor of a total ban are absolutely compelling, there already exist smart solutions that greatly reduce bycatch whilst actually benefiting (!) the fishing industry and last but not least, there are going to be provisions that will ensure that the coastal communities will not be deprived of their right to pursue sustainable livelihoods. Plus, there's an awesome team working on this and I am confident that in the end, all parties will agree that protecting our Sharks is in the long term interest of everybody - including the fishing industry!

Very much looking forward to a lively debate! :)