Philippine Whale Sharks: local fishermen see economic value in embracing ecotourism

Ocean ecotourism is becoming more and more a method by which countries, particularly developing or 2nd/3rd world nations, can find economic justification for instituting conservation measures. The island of Cebu, part of the Philippines, has recently become a typical example of ecotourism's benefits, but it also highlights some of the challenges.

The town of Oslob in southern Cebu is predominantly a fishing village and local fisherman often bring in vast catches of a small shrimp locally known as "uyap." Over the past few months, another fisherman of sorts has taken a liking to the shrimp: whale sharks. The number of reported sightings began with just one and soon increased to up to seven at a time.

Though the whale sharks, reported to be from 16 to 25 feet (5 to 8m), were competing with the fishermen for the shrimp, which represented an important source of income, the fisherman wisely chose not to chase off or harm the whale sharks but to capitalize on their appearance. Ecotourism in the form of whale shark diving. Whale sharks are a popular attraction worldwide in both aquariums and in the wild. While some may question the wisdom of keeping such a large animal confined within an aquarium exhibit, seeing them in their natural habitat can be an exciting and enlightening experience.

Successful ecotourism relies on two key components: 1.) Recognizing and transitioning to a new business revenue model and 2.) establishing the logistics that will ensure its long-term success.

In Cebu, the fisherman reportedly charge 100PHP (Philippine Pesos) to allow tourists in the water with the sharks, and they charge an additional 100PHP for snorkel gear. The fishermen use some of their shrimp catch to coax the sharks up to the surface and for that they charge 100PHP for the shrimp. [For Westerners, those are bargain rates, about $7USD total per diver, so I would expect rates to rise as business continues to improve.] The response from tourists has been good and the number of divers has been steadily increasing, thereby allowing the fishermen-turned-ecotourism operators to successfully offset their losses from the sharks feeding in their local waters. So the recognition of the economic value of a living whale shark and the transition to a new source of revenue have been successful.

However, some of the logistics or the specific details as to how the shark diving is carried out have pointed out challenges that need to be addressed immediately. Reports started to circulate that the whale shark operators were unfamiliar with how to safely handle these sharks. Apparently, some fishermen were showing the tourists how they could ride the whale sharks, grabbing the dorsal fin or even, it was reported, grabbing the gills. This can stress the animal unnecessarily and can actually damage the skin, exposing it to unwelcome bacteria.

A Philippine-based dive group, the Sea Knights, stepped in last week to observe the whale sharks and the ecotourism operators' methods. In many parts of the world, there are specific procedures and guidelines that whale shark diving operators follow to both ensure the safety of the sharks and the divers and to make that their actions do not permanently chase away the sharks. The Sea Knights plan to present a report to local government officials soon.

“Oslob is already planning on making an ordinance to protect the whale sharks. We want to recommend to the local government that they make an ordinance as soon as possible and have it implemented right away since the number of whale sharks is growing rapidly,” said Fr. Charlie Orobia, OAR, Sea Knights vice president.

Shark ecotourism is being promoted by many shark conservationists as a viable way to get local communities to recognize the economic value in conserving and protecting sharks, whether it's a relatively benign species like the whale shark or more iconic species like tiger or white sharks. But it is equally important that it be implemented in a safe and prudent manner and that it be effectively managed with guidelines strictly enforced.

To a shark advocate, that's good conservation. To the local fisherman, that's good business.

Source: Cebu Sun-Star.

Whale Sharks: Nat Geo documents unusual feeding behavior

Whale sharks - the largest fish on the planet. For many of us who dip below the surface of the sea, either with snorkels or scuba, catching a glimpse of any large marine animal is always a powerful and memorable experience. It almost seems surreal; something so large gliding past you like a zeppelin in a liquid sky.

That feeling is heightened when the leviathan in question is a whale shark. Not that you are concerned about becoming prey to the whale shark - these animals are filter feeders like baleen whales - but it's a shark all the same. Throughout the world there are several "hot spots" for finding small congregations of whale sharks, but it's not always guaranteed. Many divers can tell you of their experiences being skunked, and then learning about the sharks that appeared the day after they departed.

For underwater photographer Michael Aw, luck was on his side while taking pictures for National Geographic. Not only did he find whale sharks off the northern shores of Papua, Indonesia, but he was able to document an unusual behavior. The whale sharks had come across a reliable food source, that of the baitfish caught by local fishermen. With hundreds of small fish corralled into fishing nets, the sharks would grab at the nets, trying to make off with an easy meal. It would appear that it runs in the family - whale sharks are opportunistic feeders, like their smaller shark cousins.

Accompanying Aw's photos in Sharing with Sharks for the October issue, on sale September 27th, and online edition of National Geographic, Jennifer Holland wrote, "The giant fish is hard to study because it is hard to find and track. By tagging individual specimens, scientists have learned that whale sharks can log thousands of miles in years-long trips. But they sometimes disappear for weeks, diving more than a mile down and resting in the chilly deep for a spell. No one has ever found mating or birthing grounds.

Whale sharks are ordinarily loners. But not in one corner of Indonesia. [Michael Aw's] photographs, shot some eight miles off the province of Papua, reveal a group of sharks that call on fishermen each day, zipping by one another, looking for handouts near the surface, and nosing the nets - a rare instance when the generally docile fish act, well, like the rest of the sharks."

One might question whether these sharks are becoming habituated or "trained" to look to the fishermen for their food. This has been a concern leveled at others in the eco-tourism trade who are accused of attracting animals, in particular sharks, to the extant that it potentially interferes with the animals normal hunting instincts. But research has shown that what is offered as an attractant is usually insignificant compared to the animal's normal nutritional requirements and with whatever behavior modification that might take place, its effects are transitory.

But it can provide for some amazing moments, as Michael Aw's photos can attest. You can read the entire photo-article in the October issue of National Geographic or visit the National Geographic website.

Sharks of the Arabian Gulf: scientists and governments look to conservation

More and more, research and conservation management of sharks is making its way around the globe. In the Arabian Gulf, both scientists and government interests are looking into the plight of sharks to ensure that these important ocean predators are allowed to flourish.

Studying the Arabian Gulf's whale sharks
A whale shark discovered off of a Qatari oil rig, was tagged with a satellite tag that will provide important information as to it movements in and around the Gulf. Scientists from Dubai tagged the shark and reported it to be a larger specimen (8+ meters) than has normally been seen in the Gulf.

Marine biologist David Robinson, founder of SharkWatch Arabia, is building a database of whale shark sightings and taggings. It will be six months before Robinson will have any data regarding the shark's movements - a satellite tag stores recorded data and then eventually breaks free from the shark where, upon surfacing, it downloads its information via satellite.

As reported in GulfNews.com, "The findings from this study, which started in August 2010, will help to assess whale shark abundance in this region. 'The Sharkwatch Arabia database has so far collected 57 confirmed sightings in just under a year with 25 positive ID patterns collected,' [Robinson] said.

Gulf News previously reported that sightings of newborns were confirmed offshore Pakistan and Oman, which suggests that the Northern Arabian Sea may be home to mature females that are rarely seen at other study sites throughout the world."

What is particularly encouraging with this research is that it is being funded by several Arab nations, including the Qatari Ministry of the Environment and the UAE's Emirates Diving Association and Emirates Natural History Group. Seeing these animals as both local tourism opportunities and important natural resources to maintaining a healthy ecosystem means that international exploitation of the Gulf's whale shark population could be denied any kind of foothold.

Bahrain seeks to protect its sharks
The UK-based Shark Conservation Society (SCS) is working closely with the Bahrain Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife to determine the state of the population of sharks in the Gulf. The two have agreed to a shark survey expedition in Bahrain waters for next year.

In Bahrain waters are primarily white cheek sharks, grey sharks, and milk sharks - all not particularly dangerous sharks to humans, but to local fishermen any shark represents a catch that can bring money on the open market. Overfishing is a major challenge that the Bahrain Commission wants to address.

According to the Commission's director-general, Dr. Jassim Al Qaseer, "Years ago there used to be many sharks in our waters but the number has declined hugely as more fishermen have caught them for food, particularly the medium-sized species. We must protect them from overfishing as many fishermen don't care what kind of shark they catch, as long as they manage to catch something and bring it in to sell."

Also of particular concern is the green sawfish, which is considered critically endangered in Bahrain. Dr. Al Qaseer noted, "These are very rare in Bahrain, partially because people catch them for food, but predominantly because fishermen catch them, cut off their unusual saw-like noses for a souvenir and throw the bodies back into the water."

It is hoped that the Bahrain government will manage commercial fishing through regulations covering the types of fishing equipment - nets and hooks - that can be used, and through stricter enforcement of current and future regulations.

"Fishermen today catch any type of fish so that they have something to bring back to shore, even the smallest of fish which then do not have the chance to develop properly. These actually should be thrown back into the sea," said Dr. Al Qaseer.

"We must restrict the type of fishing equipment used such as trawling lines and nets," he said. "Also the Coastguard must check each fishing boat out at sea to ensure that such fishing gear is not being used and that sharks aren't being caught and left in the bottom of boats to be taken to shore."

"The fishermen as well as the public need to be taught how these marine animals are vital to us humans and the eco-system, as they maintain the quality of fish in the sea."

I heartily second that motion.

Read about whale shark tagging in the Arabian Gulf at GulfNews.com.
Read about Bahrain's sharks in Gulf Daily News.

India's Whale Sharks: a migrating population may be unique to India

For many years, marine scientists have studied the migration patterns of marine animals, trying to better understand the animal's behavior by unlocking the secrets as to why these long-range movement patterns exist. Spawning grounds, food opportunities, seasonal temperature changes - all have entered into the mix, depending on the species or the location.

In the South Pacific and Indian Ocean Ocean, there was a long held belief that a population of whale sharks migrated from Australia to waters off India's Gujarat coast. In the winter months, whale sharks would disappear from Australian waters and reappear in Gujarat, about 300 to 500 strong. The theory was that the sharks were migrating to warmer waters.

But a new study by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), wherein genetic samples from Australian and Indian whale sharks, along with identifying photographs, were taken and compared, it appears that the two regions may, in fact harbor two distinct populations. According to Arun Kaul, WTI senior director, there were no corresponding DNA indicators between any of the samples taken.

“The samples collected so far have not found a match anywhere in the world, which means they are unique,” Kaul said.

Whale sharks, like many other sharks, can also be photographically identified because their white-spotted markings - along with any other distinctive scars or deformities - act like a fingerprint. The WTI study did not find photographs that showed a whale shark in both Australian and Indian locales.

WTI pointed out that this was a preliminary study and that more work needed to be done to further identify migration routes for these sharks (after all, the Australian whale sharks were going somewhere during the winter months; just, apparently not to India) and to determine whether any cross-breeding is taking place.

I recall when I first became interested in the white sharks at Isla Guadalupe and learned of the "White Shark Cafe" where it appeared that both sharks populations from Isla Guadalupe and the Farallon Islands were both migrating to. It was a tantalizing thought that these two distinct populations were meeting in the mid-Pacific to cross-breed and maintain a healthy gene pool. However, to date, all DNA samples taken have not yet shown any connection between the two groups. It's also not completely clear as to whether all of the sharks migrate or whether there are some who, for whatever reason, stay back. Some divers, who dive Guadalupe in the summer months before the usual return fall migration of the white sharks, have reported seeing a shark or two at the edge of visibility, hanging out in deep water.

Could this be happening in Gujarat? The seabeds in Gujarat are rich in plankton - a primary whale shark food source - and sea grass which feeds many small fish that end up as whale shark prey. But the whale sharks don't stay all year round, so if not Australia, then where are they going?

A coalition of research groups including WTI, Wildlife Institute of India, Space Applications Centre, National Institute of Oceanography, Australian Institute of Marine Science, University of Illinois and others is being formed to carry on a more intensive study. The prospect of a unique population of whale sharks at Gujaret is not only of scientific interest, it is also a source of national pride. In 2000, as many as 500 whale sharks were landed off Gujaret, but in 2001 whale shark hunting was banned and hunters became protectors, viewing the whale sharks as a valuable natural resource. Fishermen free whale sharks caught in their nets and discussion are underway regarding the economics of ecotourism, as several agencies step up an awareness campaign.

“Perhaps we have discovered a population that could be endemic to Indian territorial waters,” said Satish Trivedi, senior official, community development, Tata Chemicals, Ltd (who funds a "Save the Whale Shark" campaign in India), commenting that such a discovery is significant for India.

Read about Gujarat whale sharks in LiveMint.com.

Whale Sharks and Oil Dispersant: research scientists weigh-in on the hidden risks

Many organizations and blogs have been keeping the Gulf oil spill front and center - and for good reason. The Shark Divers blog has posted several items of interest including this one, which covered an interview that I sat in on with members of the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. While the mainstream news and general public watch for signs of oil on the shoreline, there are some serious impacts that can be occurring right now, out in the Gulf, below the waves.

Gulf Oil Spill - Prime Time for Whale Sharks at Ground Zero

Friday, May 14, 2010

We spent some time with Dr. Eric Hoffmayer, shark biologist at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and Dr. Joe Griffitt, aquatic toxicologist, to discuss the current oil situation in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Hoffmayer has tracked close to 300 whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the Gulf since 2002. He is the preeminent whale shark biologist of the region and has concerns for the seasonal migration of these animals, some of which have come from as far away as the Caribbean.

As many as one third of his tracked animals are estimated to be at "ground zero" the very place upwards to 70,000 barrels of oil are pouring into the Gulf and 500,000 gallons of Corexit, a toxic dispersant, is being sprayed.

This map is an overlay of where the Gulf whale sharks most likely are and where the oil slick and dispersant is now.

"Most people have no idea we have whale sharks in the Gulf. It has been a terrific success story; we have just realized there are more animals out there then we originally thought," said Dr. Hoffmayer. "Because the public is unaware of that, the issue of this oil spill and these animals is just not on the front burner. This is critical whale shark habitat."

"We're hoping that these whale sharks might sense the oil and move out of the area. We have seen other species of sharks closer to shore under a sheen of oil, but until we get out there and tag a few sharks we just do not know what's happening, or even if they are moving."

Dr. Hoffmayer confirmed, "This is the peak season for whale sharks in the Gulf: May through September."

Meanwhile, we asked Dr. Griffitt to comment on Corexit, a dispersant being widely used by BP, and it's effects. "This stuff is designed to break up the oil into micro droplets. The concern is where it goes from there through the water column. Smaller oil particles get taken up through the food chain very quickly. The fact is we're in uncharted territory, no one knows what these amounts of dispersed oil and Corexit will do to bio-accumulation."

"No one is talking about pelagic species right now in the media," said Dr. Hoffmayer. "Or what this shower of smaller oil particles and dispersant might be doing to the wildlife - it will have a tremendous impact."

Dr. Hoffmayer plans to have his team attempt to tag and track whale sharks this season. "We are linked with people doing aerial surveys right now and they report whale shark activity to us."

Dr. Griffitt pointed out, "These smaller globules of oil will spend a lot of time in the ocean and once it mixes with dispersant this combo can be more toxic than the original substances. More study is needed."

Dr. Hoffmayer is currently seeking funding from all sources to get an expanded tagging and tracking program in place for 2010. Those seeking to help can contact him directly at:

Dr. Eric Hoffmayer Ph.D.
University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
228.872.4257
Eric.Hoffmayer@usm.edu

His website will be updating whale shark activity as it comes in and as the 2010 migratory paths are known. We will keep you updated.

Oil Rig Disaster: potential harm to whale sharks

President Obama's announcement several weeks ago, wherein he would consider issuing offshore oil drilling licenses along the southeastern seaboard and portions of the Gulf of Mexico, drew criticism from many conservation groups as it appeared to be a reversal of his position during his presidential campaign. From a public relations standpoint, once you take on a controversial position, the last thing you need is to add fuel to the fire. Or should I say fire to the oil.

As you probably know, a massive floating oil rig off the coast of Louisiana suffered an explosion and fire, sank and, as of yesterday, is reported to be leaking oil from some yet to be defined source underwater.

Here's a post from SharkDivers, bringing up the issue of the oil threat to whale sharks that cruise the area. Unfortunately, this could be only the beginning. . .

Oil Spill in the Gulf - Whale Shark Impact?

Sunday, April 25, 2010

For the past two years we have been covering whale shark aggregations off the coast of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Upwards of 40-100 animals at a time have been sighted here year after year and have become both industry and major media news.

Scientist Eric Hoffmayer has been studying these groups as far out as 100 miles from shore and that's where this week's news from the Gulf takes a decidedly nasty turn.

The Swiss-based Transocean Ltd's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sunk last week, leaving many in the region to worry about ongoing oil seeping from the wellhead at 5000 feet. The worst case scenario has happened and now experts agree close to 1000 barrels a day are leaking to the surface or close to 42,000 gallons of oil.

Oil clean-up crews have dumped over a million gallons of chemical oil dispersant into the region and more is sure to come in an effort to break up the oil on the surface. As whale sharks feed on the surface this oil and chemical dispersant does not bode well for these peaceful giants of the Gulf.