A group of conservation projects in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea will receive funding thanks to Conservation Leadership Programme’s 2019 awards.
The Peruvian conservation organization from Tumbes will use the awards to study the seasonal movements of smooth hammerheads off the coast of northern Peru.
“I didn’t know what to do with so much emotion, whether to stay still or hug the stranger who was by my side,” project leader Claudia Ampuero said after learning of the award. “This is a great opportunity to develop our skills in what we love the most: sharks. We are eager to start!”
According to the official release, “smooth hammerheads—predominantly juveniles—are frequently caught and sold by inshore fishers here, which has given rise to speculation that this region could potentially be a nursery site for the species. An eye-watering 8,700 tonnes of smooth hammerhead sharks were recorded in Peruvian artisanal fisheries between 1997 and 2013, a level of exploitation that is clearly unsustainable.”
As well as gathering data on hammerhead movements, the award-winning team will also be working closely with fishing communities to encourage a more shark-friendly approach to fisheries management in the area.
Another group from Honduras will conduct research on endangered great hammerheads in the Caribbean. The remote and widely spread archipelago known collectively as the Miskito Cays spans the territorial waters of Honduras and Nicaragua. Unlike the most southerly cays in Nicaragua—which have enjoyed nominal protection for decades—those in Honduran waters remain unprotected.
Although sharks were officially declared off limits in Honduras in 2011, this legislation has since been partially repealed to allow some artisanal fishing activity in the coastal areas of the Moskitia region. As a result, enforcement is problematic, so the wider shark protection measures lack teeth, meaning that illegal and unregulated fishing remains a significant threat, with hammerheads taking a particular hammering.
The CLP-funded project is aiming to gather more comprehensive data on shark abundance, distribution and density, which are urgently needed in order to help improve shark management. Crucially, the team will also work closely with indigenous groups with a view to increasing understanding of the importance of marine conservation and, it is hoped, changing local attitudes towards sharks.