SHARK FISHING SURVEY
Getting numbers about sharks that are being fished for commercial purposes is an extremely important and critical data to gather.
We’re currently collaborating with Shark Research Mexico and Orgcas, two mexican based NGOs, as well as a community of shark fishermen in order to gather such data in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
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We measure all the sharks that are being fished. We then store all the records and if, over time, we see that sharks fished are getting smaller and smaller, it means that the population is facing too much fishing pressure and that it could ultimately lead to a complete collapse of the entire population.
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We also gather genetic samples: blood samples and skin samples in order to study connectivity between different areas and see if the sharks that are being fished in one location are linked to others that are fished somewhere else.
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We also tagged sharks with the help of the local shark fishermen in order to gather informations about their migration and movements. See our tagging project for more infos on this.
Dr. Darren Whitehead measuring a juvenile mako shark.
Dr. Darren Whitehead taking a blood sample from a blue shark.
Dr. Darren Whitehead taking a skin sample from a blue shark pelvic fin.
THE SHARKS CAUGHT ARE GETTING SMALLER
An alarming report is that we realized that the sharks being caught are getting smaller and smaller meaning they currently aren’t able to keep up with the fishing pressure they are facing in that specific area.
According to the marine biologists we work with: Dr. Darren Whitehead and Frida Lara, the population of mako sharks could completely collapse in the next 5-10 years if the fishing pressure stays the same.
According to the fishermen that have been fishing sharks for generations, they now have to go further away offshore to catch sharks in much lower numbers than in the past.
TOO MUCH FISHING PRESSURE
Sharks have a much slower reproductive cycle than other fish. It takes them longer to reach sexual maturity, the gestation period is longer and they give birth to a lot less pups which is the reason why they aren’t able to keep up with the current fishing pressure.
A fishing ban is in place in that specific area between beginning of May and end of June or July depending on the exact location.
This period is supposed to protect the reproduction months of most shark species such a silky sharks but, unfortunately, it can’t cover the reproduction cycle of all shark species such as the pregnant blue shark that was caught on the image.
If the fishing ban was longer, it wouldn’t allow the shark fishermen to make enough income. This is why we have another project going on in order to help these shark fishermen transition to other sources of income in order to completely stop shark fishing in the area which seems to be the only solution to protect these sharks.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES
This area of Baja California Sur is a hotspot for lots of different shark species: Mako sharks, blue sharks, silky sharks, pacific sharpnose sharks, tiger sharks but also critically endangered smooth and scalloped hammerhead sharks.
It is currently completely legal to fish all these shark species even the ones that are critically endangered according to the IUCN.
The only two species that are protected in these waters are great white sharks and whale sharks.
It is therefore urgent to address this issue especially for such vulnerable species.
There are different paths to make this goal a reality:
Use science to prove the government that the fishing pressure is too much for these species to keep up
Help the local shark fishing community find new ways to make an income
Develop shark diving more in order to create more job opportunities and bring more money through diving rather than fishing
