Great Fiji Shark Count - Paper!

Behold!

Yeah I know I know.

39 dive operators doing 30,668 dives and making 146,304 shark observations on 592 dive sites, and then collating, triaging and analyzing those data is a lot of effort - and the concrete results are comparatively lean. BUT, it was always meant to be long term monitoring in order to detect trends and not a population census, and 5 years are really not that long - so there. 

In any case, thank you and congratulations to everybody involved, be it the participating dive ops, the tourists = citizen scientists, the donors, the project management and finally, the scientists: this has been quite impressive.

The good news?

Compared to other places, our Sharks populations appear to be faring OK - but despite of the recent fin export- and import ban, there is equally still ample room for improvement, especially when it comes to the continued fishing in the Shark nurseries.

As always we shall see.

Fiji's Shark Commitments are due by the end of this year..

Having looked, I notice that last year's mandated progress report is overdue which is not good - but methinks that as always, there will be some frantic last-minute activity to push matters over the finish line, the more as there is simply no way that Frank will accept any failures in an initiative he very much personally and publicly chaired.

So, our fingers are crossed and we continue to be hopeful - at least for now.

But back to the paper.

We have terminated the GFSC as it is just too much work and the management team was frankly getting increasingly frustrated at the lack and quality of participation and data. Also, this is merely a pre-print pending the tedious peer review process - but the raw data will not change, and this is now a great baseline from which one will be able to measure any future developments, be it progress or lack of.

So consider this an important intermediary step.

Should we get the feeling that matters have changed be it for the better or the worse, we will most certainly organize a recount and report about developments. And in the meantime, we here have already initiated new efforts to monitor some important sub-populations about which we shall be reporting shortly.

In the meantime, enjoy the paper.

To be continued no doubt.

Two Years of Strap - Field Note!

2016-2018 - click for detail!

Remember that poor Shark back then in 2016?

We named her Strap and have kept tabs ever since.

And here comes the according Field Note documenting the initial worsening and then, thankfully, improvement in her situation all the way to the point where the strap did eventually burst and has since mostly fallen off .

My personal take-away?
First and foremost, this once again proves the value of our continuous long term monitoring where our humongous data base is documenting over 15 years of Shark diving and the life history of a whopping 250 individual Sharks!

And boy talk about being tough!

During the course of the whole ordeal, she never appeared to be particularly inconvenienced and  instead maintained her agility and continued to compete successfully during the aerial feeds. In fact I fully expect her to completely heal to the point where she will shortly look similar to Gillette who only upon very close inspection appears to have survived a very similar incident.

Intrigued?

Strap is up for adoption, so there - and don't forget to upgrade in order to receive your quarterly updates!

And because I can.
Here is the entire Field Note for your perusal - as always, great job by Juerg and for the first but certainly not last time, by Tashi Blue!

Please click for detail and, Enjoy!

Great Fiji Shark Count - WWF!

Great!

Read this.

Just as we were resigning ourselves to forever having to pay for the GFSC out of our own pocket, here comes the welcome support by the WWF. As you may remember, WWF and partners are developing a Shark RAT, and the GFSC is definitely going to be part of the mix both in terms of actual data but also as a template for similar undertakings in equally data-poor regions.

Welcome aboard folks - much appreciated!

 

Great Fiji Shark Count!

Wow.

We've just started count # 10.

And once this November count is done, we'll have collected a full five years of invaluable data and will finally be in a position to do some in-depth analysis and publish a first set of conclusions. Remember, this is not a census but long-term monitoring in the hopes of documenting trends in Fiji's populations of Sharks, Rays and Turtles - and with thousands upon thousands of records, document we certainly did!

Honestly, I didn't think we'd come this far.

Fiji's diving industry is characterized by a remarkably high turnover of expat owners and dive shop managers, and participation volatility has been according; donors that have given enthusiastically at the start did eventually lose patience, and funds have fizzled out; personal issues and personality clashes have been at times highly disruptive.

Yes it has also been lots of fun, and good tourism - but challenging! :)

But we've persevered - and here we are!

So, count count count - and then it will be up to the management team to dazzle you with facts, maps and trends! If I look at our own data that are definitely documenting a creeping loss of Bull Sharks, I'm not at all confident that the findings will be all positive - but let's first see what has happened Fiji-wide; and if warranted, we'll be finally able to advocate for the according remedies based on facts and not mere hearsay.

To be continued - and that's a promise!

PS: Fiji Times here!
 

Great Fiji Shark Count - it's on!

Apologies!

I should have posted this before - but I've just moved house and it has been hectic!

Anyway.

The April GFSC is in full swing and dive ops across the country are counting Sharks, Rays and Turtles. Here in Pac Harbour it's both us and Projects Abroad, and the numbers are impressive!

Interested?

It's certainly not too late to make a booking - and I may add, at substantially discounted prices!

Just saying! :)

Great Fiji Shark Count - all Systems go!

It's that time of the year again!

All is ready for counting Sharks, Rays and Turtles this November.

If you are interested, please familiarize yourselves with the concept and with the details - the updated list of participants is right here.

Wishing you the best of success!

Shark counting Challenges!

From today's dive: Papa and friends - click for detail!

Counting Reefies is bloody hard, too!
Just saying! :)

Great Fiji Shark Count - start tomorrow!

And this time, the April weather is gonna be stellar!
Promise! :)

So count count count!
Details once again here and of course, here!
Oh and thanks Sam - you're a real trouper!

Great Fiji Shark Count - April!

Here we go again!

Thanks to our partners, the GFSC enters its second year of existence.

Citizen scientists all over Fiji will be once again counting Sharks, Rays and Turtles during all of this April and then in November, meaning that we will for the first time be able to start comparing the data - albeit with great caveats especially considering that April 2012 was far from normal due to the incessant rain and the floods in the West. Remember that this is long-term monitoring, so any robust trends will only be discernible after several years!

Talking of which, here are last April's results.

This is a preliminary evaluation insofar as it was done by the Fiji team rather than the official lead researcher Christine who has been exceedingly busy - this very much also in co-authoring the all-important paper on the numbers! It offers a nice overview of activities and also firmly cements our area as Fiji's Shark diving hot spot, with more species and also larger numbers - yes obviously because of the feeding but also because of the good protection!

So, what are you waiting for!

Mating scars!

Shredded - click for detail!

They're at it again!

The first ladies are turning up with mating scars, meaning that they're currently doing it down deep in Beqa Channel. Consequently, most of the Bulls that pop up are very small young subadults that have very likely not yet reached sexual maturity. 

This one is on the brink as she's rather small.

The scars will heal within the shortest time, at most 10 days - and then the bets are on as to who will get pregnant. And whilst the big Sharks are away, we're being literally swamped by Greys, Black- and Whitetips and even a couple of the elusive Silvertips!

It's really a great time of the year.

The weather is not yet stifling hot, the water already warmer and there's plenty cool stuff happening within the Reserve. And very soon there will be the Running of the Bulls where the big females and the males will swarm the feeding site and things will start to get really, really interesting.

So, what are you waiting for! :)

Nani - Birthday Interview!

Bless our Nani - the more as today is her birthday!

I've just found out that she has been interviewed by the FT.

Well what can I say.

YES there are strong indications that Sharks are continuing to be killed indiscriminately throughout Fiji, and that the Shark fin trade continues to flourish. 

But NO I don't think that the recent November Great Fiji Shark Count will be any proof of the above! The above is illustrated by the statistics (likely under-reported) about Fiji's Shark fishing, finning, and Shark fin trade, by observations throughout the Pacific and by local observations right here in Fiji.

But not by the GFSC - at least not quite yet!

Remember, the GFSC is the start of long-term monitoring and only several years worth of data will allow us to detect trends. Short-term, there will be an overriding influence of seasonal factors (e.g. within the SRMR there are always many Bulls in April and very few Bulls in November) and of pure and simple chance, meaning that we cannot really make any authoritative statements at this point in time.

And to be crystal clear.

The GFSC is not part of the current Fiji Shark protection campaign. 

It is an autonomous initiative by the tourism industry, researchers, Government Departments and selected NGOs that specifically does not involve the leadership of the failed Shark Sanctuary campaign.

I'm sure you understand! :)

From what I hear, Government is currently working on a NPoA Sharks. 

We will submit opinions (= that any Shark fishing needs to be sustainable etc) if asked to do so; and we shall share the data in due course, meaning later and only once they are statistically significant.

But not now - not publicly - not in this rather misleading way.

Loud & clear enough for you?

Great Fiji Shark Count - all is ready!

Everything is in place to start counting Sharks tomorrow.

With one small exception.

Our web admin is absent and the list of participants has not been amended - so there, this is the list for the November count.

• Adrenalin Dive
• Aquatrek Beqa
• Beqa Adventure Divers
• Beqa Lagoon Resort
• Castaway Diving
• Dive Tropex Tokoriki
• JM Cousteau Resort
• KoroSun Dive
• Lalati Resort
• Makaira Resort
• Mamanuca Environment Society
• Matava Resort
• NAI'A Fiji
• Naigani Island Resort
• Navini Island Resort 
• Pacific Harbour Fishing Group
• Reef Safari
• Taveuni Dive
• Taveuni Ocean Sports (Nakia Resort & Dive)
• USP School of Marine Studies
• Viti Watersport - Port Denarau
• Viti Watersports 
• Wakaya Island Resort
• Wananavu Dive
• Waidroka Resort

Please give your business to them.

These are the people who care about Sharks and contribute close to FJD 80m to the local economy in the process - this each and every year, sustainably and in a non-extractive way!

Happy counting everybody!

Great Fiji Shark Count in the Fiji Times!

We got Sharks! Bull City by Ozzie Sam!

Thank you Fiji Times.

And thanks and kudos to Nani!

This is excellent pro-Shark media - with one small correction: the Great Fiji Shark Count does not try to establish a population census, it monitors population trends over hopefully several years, with this year's two counts establishing a first baseline.

And the trend is already negative.

Please read the Fiji Times article here.

Really cool BRUVS Footage!

 Typical BRUVS - Source

I've just received the newest SOSF newsletter .

Among many other things, it informs me that

This year, Save Our Seas Foundation received over 200 grant applications, requesting a total of over US$ 5.5 Million in grant aid for the 2013-2014 funding year. 53 of these applications were invited to submit Stage 2 applications. These figures do not take into account projects that are already receiving funds from the Foundation; some of these Principal Investigators will be invited to apply for continued funding next year.

Pretty darn impressive!

One of those endeavors is an innovative pilot project that aims at exploring the viability of using  Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations, or BRUVS to document the underwater fauna of False Bay, South Africa. As the project synopsis explains, BRUVS may be a cost effective, non extractive way for census and long-term monitoring of MPAs. Should you be interested, you can always check on the project's progress here. 

As always, there are challenges, as documented in this great little video about a thieving octopus.

As far as I know, BRUVS were first developed by AIMS.

Be it as it may, here's a very cool compilation of what appears to be some of their "best of", including a rather devastating intervention by a Tiger Shark that aptly demonstrates the effectiveness of its very special dentition which appears specially geared towards sawing through solid objects, foremost of which Turtle carapaces - remember those basic can openers?

Anyway: enjoy!

More info about AIMS's BRUVS research here.

Great Fiji Shark Count - November!

It's that time of the year!

We're gearing up for the second GFSC in November.

You can find all the relevant information in this post and on the website so I need not repeat myself.

Just a reminder, and I cite

The aim is not to find out how many Sharks there are in Fiji!
For that, one would have to try and mobilize everybody everywhere, something that is impossible and would be fraught with immense costs, immense logistical problems and a staggering margin of error!
The aim here is to do a first random sampling and to then regularly repeat the exercise in the same locations. This way, we would be able to establish a first baseline and the starting point of long term monitoring via so-called transects (i.e. your dives, snorkeling excursions and even game fishing trips) which is an excellent scientific tool that will enable us to eventually detect a trend.

And what about the exercise in April?

Christine is currently very very busy, but she has found the time to look at some generic stuff and kindly provided us with the following info

• Number of dives recorded: 855. 

• Number of records (ie of divers in water): 3693. 

Dive Effort - black: # of dives; grey: # of replicates

• Average diver experience: 890 dives. 

• Average diver experience in Fiji: 458 (that's a lot!). 

• 18 species reported including 10 sharks, 6 rays and 2 turtles 

• List of relative commonness of shark species seen: 1. Whitetip reef 2. Grey 3. Tawny Nurse 4. Blacktip reef 5. Bull 6. Silvertip 7. Indo-Pac Lemon 8. Scalloped Hammerhead 9. Leopard 10.Tiger

 

 Shark Observations - purple: # observed; blue: # of species

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised!

As you may remember, April was absolutely dreadful, with lousy weather, depressed tourist numbers and much of the nation including the most populated tourism hubs in the West reeling from the aftermath of the floods, so I'm fully expecting November's numbers to be way higher.

Having said that, there will be less Bulls as that's smack in the middle of the birthing and later, mating season. There will also be less Participants as we've decided to reduce the numbers to those who really did make the effort to contribute to the above statistics in April as after all, this is primarily about collecting reliable long-term data, and this ideally from always the same locations!

But I'm digressing as always.

Please do consider coming to Fiji to count Sharks, Rays and Turtles!

It's a great vacation and you would be making a contribution to an important endeavor, the first of its kind in the world. Should you decide to participate, consult the list of Participants on the website and make your booking with any of them.

Thank you and c'ya in November!

Great Fiji Shark Count - last Day!

Nice article in the Fiji Times!

I had to laugh out loud when I read the descriptions of this month's Great Fiji Shark Count by Helen and our Nani: encouraging and interesting signify that alas, much of this month has been affected by the floods and then, the really horrible weather and that as a consequence, many operators in the Coral Coast, the Mamanucas and the Yasawas have only been able to properly unleash in the past week or so. But having said that, feedback from the other islands has been stellar and of course Pacific Harbour will contribute a plethora of sightings.

Among them, this totally unexpected find.
We saw it from the boat off Frigate's Passage right under the surface, and due to its spectacular coloration, the ID is pretty much unequivocal, the more as I've seen heaps of them in Cocos.
Check it out, here from the Azores - what a beautiful animal!


But I'm digressing as always.
The next week is devoted to obtaining all the sighting reports from the participants and then Helen and a gaggle of volunteers will embark on the tedious task of analyzing and formatting everything before passing it on to Christine. Expect a first informal analysis at the Dive Fiesta and a proper review in a few months.

Once again, thank you so much to the partners and sponsors.
The latter are are, in no particular order, the Shark Foundation, Ocean Soaps, Shark Savers, Save our Seas Foundation and yes, also the Shark Reef Marine Reserve which is the conservation brand of BAD.
And a huge thank you to Helen, Christine and Stuart - and to Nani, too!

So here's to the GFSC 1.2 in November.
Le roi est mort - vive le roi!

Great Fiji Shark Count - post by SOSF!

Fiji Bulls - great shot by Peter Verhoog despite of dismal conditions!

I must say, I am really impressed.

What Peter Verhoog has produced is nothing short of miraculous.
He is the CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation that has been sponsoring Juerg's research for close to a decade and is currently one of the principal sponsors of the GFSC. Being also a prominent underwater photographer, he has traveled to Fiji to document the count but also, in order to get a first-hand look at our other activities.

Well what can I say, so far it has been challenging.
We've lost a week due to the floods and for the past several days, the weather and consequently, the viz have been dismal, alas with no real end in sight. There's however heaps of Sharks and people sure get to see them as we attract them close to the customers - but getting any useful shots is really terribly difficult as everything is dark dark dark and murky as hell.
I for one don't even bother to switch on the camera!

With that in mind, Peter's pictures are just simply stellar.
The attributes of real professional underwater photographers include getting the shot - and Peter sure delivers in spades, as only a very few others like Doug Perrine do!

You can admire Peter's pictures in this post on the SOSF website.
Enjoy!

Great Fiji Shark Count - Fiji Times Article!

Finally!
Good to see that Fiji's biggest newspaper is taking notice!

The article is here, nice job.
The weather is finally improving and the Nation is slowly digging itself out of the mess of the last weeks. Normal flight schedules have resumed and with the arrival of the first tourists, the count is now finally kicking into gear.

Our first Shark dive after the floods is going to be tomorrow.
I cannot wait to see what has happened in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. All along the Coral Coast, thousands of sedentary and cryptic Fishes like Morays and Stonefish have been washed ashore after drowning in the sudden deluge of fresh water - but Shark Reef is approx one mile offshore so the hope is that the flood waters have been sufficiently diluted before reaching it.

I'm moderately optimistic.
I am a closet Fish geek and know every nook and cranny, and every single Fish there and will certainly do a quick census & report back. The Sharks are going to be fine, don't worry.
Fingers crossed and keep watching this space!

Great Fiji Shark Count - Takeoff!

Or so I thought!

Reality has been slightly different.
Today we had plenty of rain - but no power, no water except from what was pelting down, and no diving because all of our customers were either trying to get in, or trying to get out!

But yes, officially it has begun.
At latest count, we have approx. 50 participants and I really wonder whether anybody has been brave, or crazy enough to go out and count? Anyway, the Great Fiji Shark Count is a month-long event and I'm sure that the data will be coming in fast and furious as soon as the weather clears up - by my reckoning, latest by Thursday!

Keep watching this space!

Great Fiji Shark Count - awesome Article!

Kudos and Vinaka to Scott Kukral of Sea Fiji Travel!
His well-researched piece hits the nail squarely on the head: this is exactly what we are trying to achieve and why this initiative is so vital for Shark Conservation in Fiji!

Please enjoy Scott's article right here!