The life of fishermen - understanding socio-economic drivers for elasmobranch fishery part 1

During my recent travels to Indonesia, I tried to understand the reasons for shark and ray fishing in local communities, often in remote areas. With all the information shared in this blog, whether it is through pictures or text, it is important to say that it is not my intention to blame the fishermen for catching highly endangered animals. To find solutions to shark fishing, we need to understand the drivers of shark fishing.

When it comes to shark fishing, we need to divide it into two different issues: artisanal fishing in local communities, mainly in developing countries, and commercial fishing. According to "Traffic" https://sharks.panda.org/images/downloads/327/TRAFFIC_Top_20_Shark_Catchers__Traders_2019_1.pdf Spain, France, Portugal and the USA play a critical role in commercial fishing.

To reduce shark fishing, in my opinion, the approach in Indonesia, India and other developing countries needs to focus more on local communities rather than large scale fishing with vessels carrying several tons of fish.

a former traditional shark fishing boat now working in eco-tourism for Project Hiu in Indonesia

First, we want to understand the drivers of shark fishing in these developing countries, with a focus on the world's largest shark fishing nation: Indonesia.

The fishermen usually live on small islands or in coastal communities and were born into the business, with families running the boats for several generations.

However, this does not mean that they finance their fishing trips themselves. Often out on the open sea, they spend several weeks in search of the ocean's treasures. To buy the supplies, fuel, food, etc., they often have to go into debt. Traders and middlemen finance the trips.

This comes at a cost: the fishermen have to be out at sea as long as necessary to catch enough sharks to pay off their debts and make a profit to live on until the next trip.

Everything depends on the traders. If they decide to pay less, the fishermen have little power to negotiate. This dependency is very problematic because it forces them to keep fishing regardless of whether they get hurt or have damaged boats.

Sharks are usually sold for more money than their nutritional value in meat. The export of fins is the most profitable part of the business.

Catching sharks therefore becomes a business like any other; a way to make as much money as possible. Shark fishermen are fathers and husbands who need to feed their families and provide an income. Women usually take care of the family and/or practice a craft such as making sarongs, a type of sewn scarf, selling fish at the market, or supporting in some other way. It is about food and income security. If children are to go to school, fees must be paid.

To make fishermen less dependent on traders, these fixed costs need to be covered.

Western systems such as insurance and trade unions would take the pressure off, and free education would improve the chances of not ending up fishing for sharks like the generation before.

In upcoming articles, we will take a closer look at the conflict between shark conservation and human wealth, and why this does not necessarily have to be a trade-off.

Working hard below the poverty line: fishermen only do what they have to survive