Finding unlikely allies: The prospect of shark fishers role in sustainable management of sharks and rays fishery

Overfishing is the primary threat to conservation status of sharks and rays. Indonesia which has 2.3 million fishers is the world’s biggest producer of sharks and rays, contributing 13% of global production. A common... [ view full abstract ]

Overfishing is the primary threat to conservation status of sharks and rays. Indonesia which has 2.3 million fishers is the world’s biggest producer of sharks and rays, contributing 13% of global production. A common conservation approach to address overfishing is the attempt to provide alternative employment, which may be an option for Indonesia’s elasmobranch fisheries. A typical example of shark and ray fishery in Indonesia is Tanjung Luar, East Lombok. This study aims to understand the dynamics of the Tanjung Luar shark fishery, and predictors that influence fishers’ decisions to switch livelihoods. The result shows that fishers’ intention to switch livelihoods is significantly influenced by their support for species protection and employment position in the boat (crew vs. captain). Furthermore, fishers with higher position are more likely to support species protection, but have less intention to switch livelihood. We found that it is important to differentiate between roles in the fishery when trying to plan and implement alternative livelihoods interventions for shark fishers. Livelihood diversification has potential to encourage fishers to exit fishery. However, our study shows that it is challenging to identify feasible alternatives that provide real economic incentives to change as there are no legal, sustainable, marine-based alternatives that offer similar profits to shark fishing. Further, support for regulating shark fishing is low for fishers who are directly impacted by regulations. To manage sharks and rays sustainably, instead of pushing fishers out of this industry, the government should involve them in the management of shark and ray fishery