Overfishing of sharks driven by the shark fin trade is one of the most serious environmental issues we face today. The issues involved are complex and there doesn't appear to be any one “silver bullet" solution. By approaching the problem from the top, bottom and middle of the supply chain, however, some significant changes are starting to come about. Main approaches include addressing the demand by reaching out to shark fin consumers; addressing the supply by protecting marine areas and threatened species, and; addressing trade by implementing restrictions on trade of threatened species and/or shark fins. Unfortunately the latest attempt to implement trade restrictions at the recent CITES conference failed, when narrow, short-term economic interests won out over long term sustainability. Recent groundbreaking legislation in Hawaii, however, will soon prohibit all trade in shark fins in that State. Hopefully this law can serve as a model for the rest of the world to follow. On the demand side, the Shark Savers/WildAid “Say ‘No' to shark fin soup" campaign is well underway in China and its messages are now reaching tens of millions of people in some of the heaviest shark fin consumption cities in the world – Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Feedback from a limited pilot program last year showed that 80 percent of the shark fin consumers who saw the message had decided to stop or greatly reduce shark fin consumption. Meanwhile, grass roots movements in cities, such as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Vancouver and others, have emerged and are quickly gaining momentum. The prospects for squashing the demand for shark fin soup are now looking very promising, as the public perception pendulum starts to swing from an item of prestige and status to something that is passé and even frowned upon. But even with all this encouraging news, it is still vitally important to address the supply side of the equation, especially in the places where sharks are fished most heavily. Exploring the supply side issues, with Indonesia as the prime example, is the focus of this article. Indonesian Shark Fishing Industry This island nation with over 81,000 kilometers of coastline and 17,500 islands, has been the leading harvester of sharks since the 1970s, accounting for 14 percent of the worldwide elasmobranch catch from 1998 to 2002 [1]. While shark fishing in Indonesia is nothing new, it historically was not a significant portion of the Indonesian fishery. With the rise in demand for shark fins driven by the increased consumption of shark fin soup, however, Indonesia's focus on shark fishing has grown exponentially. The Indonesian shark catch increased from 1,000 MT in 1950 to a peak of 117,600 MT in 2003. And the value of shark fins exported by Indonesia increased from US$6,000 in 1975 to US$10,680,000 in 1991.[2] Demand for shark fins within Indonesia grew during this time as well from luxury hotels and Chinese restaurants in the major cities. It's fairly evident from these statistics that the market for shark fins is the driving force behind the increased focus on shark fishing. And because of the incentive to sell the lucrative fins compared with the relatively low value of shark meat, finning – cutting off the fins and discarding the rest of the animal – has become widespread. From this wasteful and cruel practice, an estimated 200,000 MT of shark are discarded annually worldwide.[3] Finning has been outlawed in many parts of the world, but is still legal in Indonesia. Since the vast majority (90 percent) of Indonesia's fishing fleet consists of small artisanal fishers with wooden boats that do not have insulated fish holds or refrigeration, the incentive to keep only the fins and discard the rest is even stronger. Who Benefits? It would appear that the artisanal fishermen who can catch sharks without restrictions and sell the high value fins would be doing quite well and making some nice profits. Upon digging deeper, however, it appears that the Indonesian fishermen may not be the ones reaping the benefits of this trade. A case study from 1989 of a longline shark fishery in Karangsong village east of Jakarta analyzed the income to both the boat owners and crew from 22 boat voyages over two months. The profits from the shark catches after operating expenses (not accounting for shipping and taxes) came to an average of $18 per voyage of which 50 percent went to the boat owner, 20% to captain and 10 percent to each of the crew members. And in fact in 8 of the 22 boat voyages studied the value of the catch was less than the operating costs. While prices for shark fins in the late 1980's and early 1990's rose, operating costs increased as well, resulting in flat or even decreased profits for the fishermen.[4] A more recent case study of a Javan artisanal fishery showed that elasmobranchs averaged only about 5 percent of the total catch value. This study analyzed the estimated effects of reducing the elasmobranch catch by 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent and 100 percent. Surprisingly, even with a 100 percent reduction — i.e. full protection for sharks — the household incomes of the boat owners decreased by only 7 percent and by 3 percent for the crew. [5] Today shark fishermen are traveling farther and farther from home to seek out dwindling shark populations. The conditions are rough and they spend long periods of time away from their families just to eke out a meager living. And as shark populations continue to decline, their future prospects are grim. Some delegates at the recent CITES conference argued that restrictions on trade of threatened shark species would harm the fishermen of poor nations like Indonesia. But this “concern" seems quite disingenuous when it becomes clear that the fishermen are not benefiting all that much from the trade and in fact their livelihoods are being threatened by the depletion of their resources. Impacts on sharks The peak in shark fin exports in the mid 1990's followed by a decline to half that level by 2006 certainly suggests a serious decline in shark populations. As sharks have been depleted in the traditional fishing grounds in the western and central portion of the archipelago, the pressure has moved to the east, including the waters of Raja Ampat, the richest and most bio-diverse marine environment on Earth. To compound the problem, industrial trawlers from Taiwan – some licensed and many illegal – have moved in to exploit Indonesia's waters as well. [6] Sharks mature late in life, anywhere from 7 to 25 years depending on the species. Most sharks give birth to small numbers of live young and after reaching maturity only give birth once every one to three years. All this heavy fishing pressure to which they've been subjected simply cannot be sustained. A Creative, Cooperative Supply Side Solution – Misool Eco Resort On a small island in the Misool region of Raja Ampat, what was once a shark finning camp next to a bombed reef, is now a popular eco resort in the largest fully protected area in Indonesia. Today blacktip reef sharks can be seen cruising across the lagoon, and recently were seen mating. The house reef offers world class diving and many of the top sites in Raja Ampat are within a short boat trip. Misool Eco Resort, created and run by Andrew and Marit Miners and Thorben Niemann, is now a luxury dive resort in a tropical paradise. But it's also much, much more. MER represents a model of conservation, sustainability and service to its host community. Conservation, Sustainability and Community In 2005 MER were able to negotiate a lease with the local people who own the traditional rights to Batbitim Island and 425 square km of ocean surrounding it. This area is now a full No-Take-Zone, where marine harvest of any kind is prohibited. MER is “committed to demonstrating to our hosts, our guests, and the local government that tourism can support a local economy with much more favorable terms than mining, logging, overfishing or shark finning. “ To protect against the constant threat of poaching in the no-take-area, the Ranger Patrol was established with assistance from WildAid, The Coral Reef Alliance and Precious Planet. And the Misool Conservation Centre, MER's Indonesian charity, supports scientific research, reef restoration and community school projects. In addition the MER team are now working with local stakeholders to almost triple the size of the No-Take Zone! The expanded zone will encompass an area more than twice the size of Singapore (1200 sq km) and provide full protection for the breathtakingly beautiful Daram region. This remote and uninhabited area is desperately in need of protection, as illegal long-liners and shark finners are now able to operate with impunity. The resort itself has been ingeniously designed to keep its impact to an absolute minimum. The energy efficient buildings and furniture are made almost entirely from salvaged driftwood and other natural renewable materials. Natural insect and weather protection is used in place of chemical products. Energy consumption is minimized and work on wind and solar power is underway. Water and waste disposal are carefully managed so that no waste goes into the sea. Working cooperatively to improve the lives of their local hosts and secure the future of their community is a primary focus. The resort operations and Ranger Patrols provide secure and sustainable employment for many of local villagers, while MER purchases further contribute to the local economy. MER also engages in community projects, from supporting local schools to teaching local people about conserving the resources that are so vital to their survival. In turn the MER management gain invaluable knowledge and insight from their hosts about the local culture, wildlife and language. [7] Conclusion Marine parks, and especially No-Take-Zones, supported by sustainable tourism work to protect resources and local communities, and they provide long-term solutions that benefit everyone involved. Indonesia, with its relatively decentralized artisanal fishery and rich reefs that are attractive to dive tourists, is ideally suited to development of more marine parks and eco resorts following the MER model. Fishermen who are struggling to make ends meet and who do not have large investments in equipment, will most likely welcome the opportunity for more secure and sustainable employment. Experience has shown time and again that surrounding areas also benefit from MPA's as the healthy fish stocks spread out to adjacent areas. Cooperative models are also working in places like Fiji's Shark Reef Marine Reserve, where the local residents benefit from dive tourism and participate in protecting their waters. In addition recognizing the value of long-term sustainable income from eco-tourism rather than short term unsustainable overfishing compelled Palau, the Maldives and recently Honduras to protect sharks in their waters. This multi-pronged approach of addressing the shark fin trade, and other complex environmental problems, from all angles – supply, demand and trade – is working. And we need to continue to focus our efforts on the solutions that work. With more creative ideas and cooperation among NGO's, governments, businesses and consumers, I believe there's hope for sharks , our oceans and our planet. References [1]Elasmobranchs include sharks, rays and chimearas – sharks average about 2/3 of catches in the elasmobranch fishery. FAO Report titled “World markets and industry of selected commercially-exploited aquatic species ...." [2,5,6] “The History of Shark Fishing in Indonesia: A HMAP Asia Project Paper" Sept. 2009. Associate Professor Malcolm Tull, Murdoch Business School and Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University [3] “Discards in the world's marine fisheries. An update. “ FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 470. (Rome, 2005), p. 46. K. Kelleher [4] “Elasmobranch biodiversity, conservation and management: Proceedings of The International Seminar and Workshop, Sabah, Malaysia, July 1997" – Chapter: Development of Shark Fisheries and Shark Fin Export in Indonesia: Case Study of Karangsong Village, Indramayu, West Java. By Takashi Suzuki 1997 [7] Misool Eco Resort
