A Journey Back in Time with Malaysia’s Fishers

Serena Adam of WWF-Malaysia and Amy Then of University of Malaya traverse coastal Malaysia in search of first-hand fishing tales to plug historical data gaps in our understanding of the country’s dwindling shark and ray populations.“It was 6 am when the sunbeams pierced through the windows, waking us up to the sound of cars and boats in a humble fishing village in Kudat district, located at the northern tip of Borneo. After grabbing a quick breakfast, we began our journey exploring coastal villages in search of local fishers who would be willing to share insights into their lives and take us back in time as they recount their fishing stories.” – Serena Adam, Shark Conservation Officer at WWF-Malaysia, poetically describes a day from the most recent data-gathering project she completed in partnership with Amy Then, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Biological Sciences at the University of Malaya.The brief scene roughly describes the team’s field study that has taken them beyond Kudat and across various Malaysian seascapes known for high catches of sharks and rays. Locally called ‘yu’ and ‘pari’ respectively, these fish are slowly disappearing from Malaysia’s waters, due to overfishing. Despite being home to a high diversity of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), with at least 70 shark species and 85 rays (including some rare and unique ones), unfortunately there is very little species-specific information on catches available in Malaysia to help scientists protect these animals more effectively. For example, one iconic species – the charismatic sawfish – has not been seen in most of Malaysia since the 1980s, despite anecdotally being very common in the past. However, the currently available official data would not tell the full story of such declines because sawfish as well as all the other elasmobranch species are grouped merely into “sharks” and “rays” in the official catch records. Having only such general, simplified data makes it challenging to protect these rare animals effectively and manage them sustainably.So how can we fill in gaps in our understanding of historical occurrences and populations of these threatened marine animals? Just as Amy and Serena did, we can turn to fisher folks who have a wealth of information and an often-impressive record of interactions with these creatures out at sea. Increasingly, multiple studies show that fishers’ memories can be translated into useful qualitative and even quantitative measures of fish population trends.The premise of Amy and Serena’s research was based on the fact that while experienced fishers may not be able to recall what an average catch looked like, they would still likely be able to describe their historical best catch. Equipped with a tested questionnaire and a photographic elasmobranch guide, the team interviewed fishers to gather information that would enable them to compare past and present daily catches and fishing effort patterns (usually measured by time spent fishing), especially for the most unique-looking and so most easily recognised sharks and rays. Typically, our team concentrated their search for potential interviewees at landing sites, where fishers would congregate to bring their daily catch to shore, to mend their nets, or to socialise after a long night out at sea.The team interviewing local fishers as part of the study. © University of Malaya (Sandra Liew)Moving from one village to another, across four major shark-fishing states in multicultural Malaysia, our mostly female team had come across some challenges in finding the ‘right’ fishers to interview. For example, as the team learnt, the time of the day mattered. For some, 3 am in the wee morning marked the start of the day – at the same time, however, others were already wrapping up for the day. One had to be sensitive and adaptive to the potential respondents depending on their nationality, cultural and ethnic background, primary language (often dialects), and customary fishing practices. Some fishers could be wary or defensive, especially when they have had recent encounters with enforcement authorities on shark-related catch issues. As Amy and Serena recount, most fishers they encountered were pleasant and helpful during the interviews, with some outright excited to find strangers interested in their ocean stories. “Empathy, politeness, and active listening were essential ingredients of our success during that study,” adds Amy.Interviews conducted between May 2018 and June 2019 revealed that most fishers do not consider sharks and rays to be their target catch. However, most will not discard these animals when they get entangled in their nets as they serve to supplement their incomes. For those that do target sharks and rays, preferred species included the Bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae), whose fins can fetch up to 100-200 USD per kilo – a rare ray species recently reclassified by the IUCN as “critically endangered” globally (facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild). An interesting cultural insight the team uncovered was that among the Chinese fishing community, it was believed that the sawfish rostrum can chase away bad spirits. Rostra of these once common creatures are treated there as sacred objects and very old specimens can be found displayed elegantly in Chinese temples in coastal areas.Based on our team’s initial analysis, the fishers had identified specific groups that have declined over the span of their fishing careers – including Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), sawfishes (Pristidae), hammerheads (Sphyrnidae), and mobula rays (Mobulidae). Interestingly, this is in line with the conservation status updates on these species published by the IUCN in recent years – in fact, these animals are disappearing not only from Malaysia’s waters but also elsewhere throughout the world. Amy and Serena’s team also found that some local fishers thought that these species could never be driven to extinction because of their sheer size and strength. This unfounded perception highlights the need for more awareness outreach among the fishing communities to highlight how vulnerable these marine creatures really are, especially because of their biology, including low birth rates and slow growth. To address this issue, WWF-Malaysia and University of Malaya hope to collaboratively plan future outreach based on this finding.Sawfish rostra displayed in a Chinese temple in Kuala Kurau, Perak, Malaysia. © University of Malaya (Nursyazwani Ramlan)As Amy and Serena admitted, a lot of work still remains to be done to do justice to the treasure trove of information they gathered, having interviewed more than 200 fishers over 150 days spent in the field. Going through the notes, they hope to learn more not only about the animals themselves but also about the human dimension of fisheries in the country. This journey back in time across large- and small-scale fisheries in Malaysia will shed more light on the status of these marine predators. Crucially, the results from this study will be used to inform better management plans in Malaysia, including the next National Plan of Action for Sharks (a country-level blueprint for conservation and sustainable management of sharks and rays), the third edition of which is currently under review. Lessons learnt will also certainly help improve any future replication of such a data-gathering project to aid marine conservation work of poorly studied species such as sharks and rays.---Amy Then is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Malaysia. She did her PhD research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, USA, focusing on data-poor methods to estimate important fish stock parameters. Currently, she is working on elasmobranch fishery assessment, mangrove fish ecology and related ecosystem services, and establishing relationships between the marine environment and the well-being of coastal communities.Serena Adam is a Shark Conservation Officer at WWF-Malaysia. A graduate of Marine Biology from University of Terengganu (UMT), her work revolves around research coordination, bycatch mitigation initiatives, supporting implementation of the National Plans of Action, and monitoring of sharks and rays in marine protected areas (MPAs). Her goal is to improve the recovery of these vulnerable species and ensure they are still swimming in our waters for years to come.Special ThankThe authors of this story would like to extend their deepest appreciation to Ms. Lee Sok Fen and Ms. Sandra Cindy Liew, the core Research Assistants for this project, and to Ms Nursyazwani Ramlan, who did her final year project using some of the collected data. Thank you for your perseverance and positivity throughout the duration of the field study. This project is a collaboration between WWF-Malaysia and the University of Malaya.

More Sharks and Rays Reclassified as Threatened, Including One Ray Species Possibly Extinct

New updates on the conservation status of sharks and rays released on 25 March 2021 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) show that 39 additional species are now facing a risk of extinction in the wild. This takes the total of all sharks and rays categorised as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered to 355.“The alarm-bells for sharks and rays could not be ringing louder,” said Dr. Andy Cornish, Leader of Sharks: Restoring the Balance, WWF’s global shark and ray conservation programme. “The sheer number and diversity of these animals facing extinction is staggering. Overfishing is by far the greatest threat and has to be reined in. The good news is that solutions to this crisis do exist. Governments and the regional fisheries management organisations, which manage fishing in the high seas, must act now and boldly to recover the most threatened species before it is too late.”Most alarmingly, IUCN reveals that one species of ray may have already gone extinct, as the Java stingaree (Urolophus javanicus) is now assessed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). A unique ray from the coast of Java in Indonesia, it was previously listed as Critically Endangered (2006). This endemic species has not been seen since the end of the 19th century when it was originally discovered.Eight out of nine species that are “uplisted” to the Critically Endangered category – meaning they are just one step away from extinction – are rays (mostly guitarfishes and eagle rays). This continues the worrying trend that although rays may be less known and do not receive as much attention, they are doing even worse than sharks as a consequence of overfishing and overall lack of fisheries management.Nonetheless, it is not just the lesser-known species featuring in this round of Red List updates. A few reef sharks that used to be very common and abundant, and are particularly popular among divers, are now threatened. This includes the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) reclassified from Near Threatened to Endangered, lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) from Near Threatened to Vulnerable, and the Atlantic nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) from Data Deficient to Vulnerable.Lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) swimming amongst other marine life in the waters of Tiger Beach, Bahamas.“The latest reassessments highlight that fishing is causing population declines across the spectrum of these ancient animals,” Dr. Cornish commented. “Whether rays or sharks, those on sunlit coral reefs, far offshore, or in the deep oceans, large and small – few groups are unscathed.”Ever more species of sharks and rays are being pushed towards extinction. In 2014, 25% of all shark and ray species were threatened, with 25 species critically endangered. Right now, 36% per cent is under threat and the number of critically endangered species has tripled (from 25 to 76).More than 1,200 different species of sharks and rays inhabit our global ocean. These diverse animals do not simply dwell there – they shape the ocean, and have done so for more than 400 million years, since the time of dinosaurs. Sharks and rays are indispensable to ocean health and the well-being of millions of people across the globe through provision of livelihoods, food, and tourism. Find out more about how you can adopt a shark and help our efforts in conserving their habitats by clicking here.

Ravaged by Fishing—An Oceanic Shark Emergency

Two iconic shark species — oceanic whitetip and scalloped hammerhead — as well as many other sharks and rays inhabiting the open ocean are being pushed toward extinction. Main threat? Overfishing. How did we get here and what can be done to save them?You don’t forget your first time underwater with a school of scalloped hammerheads. The undulating way they swim together is a thing of beauty. I had travelled all the way to Mozambique to be surrounded by these predators, and was in awe. Years later, in the Red Sea, I had the same thrill at the sight of a hefty oceanic whitetip inspecting me close up. Seeing these majestic animals underwater is one of the best wildlife experiences anyone can have.But we’re emptying our oceans of these fantastic creatures at a scale that is breathtaking. Globally, oceanic shark and ray populations have declined by 71% since 1970, with species such as the oceanic whitetip and scalloped hammerhead declining by over 95% and 80% respectively. The whitetip used to be the most common shark species in the open ocean. Yet today there are only a handful of locations where divers have a decent chance of seeing them.Oceanic whitetip shark in the Red Sea, Egypt © Elke Bojanowski / WWF-HKThe oceanic whitetip, as its name suggests, is mostly found in the open ocean or near distant islands.Scalloped hammerhead sharks are born in shallow coastal waters, and move to deeper offshore waters later in life. With these two species spending so much of their lives far away from land, you might think they would be safer from humans. But regardless of how far these animals go, there is no escape from their biggest threat — overfishing.Northern bluefin tuna off the coast of Spain © Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWFSharks eat fish. So it’s no surprise that where you find schools of tuna, marlin and other open ocean fish that people eat, you will also find sharks and rays. Sharks are killed — as many as 100 million every year — both on purpose and incidentally by fishing vessels targeting an array of species. But how did the carnage get so bad?The way we catch tuna is a big part of the problem. While the mechanization of fishing started in the late 19th century, it was not until the 1950s and 1960s when the gear and the size of the boats would enable rapid intensification of industrial tuna fishing. In the 1970s it was already apparent that the ocean’s resources were not, in fact, infinite and fish stocks could collapse if not looked after responsibly. But knowing and changing don’t always go together. By 1985, global fishing catch numbers exploded, quadrupling since the end of World War II.Fast forward to the early 21st century and the situation could not be more alarming. Fishing effort with longlines and purse seine nets — two tuna fishing methods that result in high shark catches — has more than doubled since 1970, resulting in an 18-fold increase in relative fishing pressure. Meanwhile, catches of oceanic sharks and rays have tripled in the same time. 1990 marked a critical point in this timeline of destruction: shark and ray catches massively increased to meet new market demand for their products — in particular fins. Catches continued climbing steeply until early 2000s, and then, in a tell-tale sign of overfishing, they started to drop simply because there were fewer animals left out there.In addition to the oceanic whitetip shark and the scalloped hammerhead, there are 22 other species of oceanic sharks as well as rays that are now threatened with extinction. 16 of those are now endangered or critically endangered. These animals occupy diverse habitats and have different migration patterns, but all have been ravaged by unsustainable fishing. The truth is there is no place for them to hide, even in the vast, open ocean.Industrial fishing boats in a dock © James Morgan / WWF-USBut this is a human-caused problem, and it’s in our power to fix.Tuna fishing on the high seas — beyond the national jurisdiction of any particular country — is regulated by regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). While most people have never heard of these tuna RFMOs, they govern unimaginably large swathes of our blue planet. The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), for example, manages an area covering 20% of the Earth’s surface — more than the size of Russia and Canada combined!A good idea in principle, tuna RFMOs are marred by a number of ongoing issues. Members, or “contracting parties” (nearby coastal countries and any other countries fishing in those areas) gather just once a year for a major meeting when all key decisions for the following year should be made. But a requirement that any decision is made by consensus means it is enough for one contracting party to object to a proposal for it to be shelved. In practice, this means tuna RFMOs are slow to act on overfishing issues, let alone change course drastically.With RFMOs’ mission to manage tuna fishing, other species — including sharks and rays — rarely get the attention they deserve. In 2019, after shocking population declines of the oceanic whitetip shark in the Pacific came to light at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting, WWF called for countries to develop recovery plans. The issue was never even discussed. Pushed to the end of the agenda, it seems there’s never enough time to address the plight of sharks and rays.Another often-cited reason for lack of action is “insufficient scientific data” on what is being caught — this could be easily fixed, except the political will is lacking. Countries refuse to increase on-board scientific observers from the current requirement of a paltry 5% of tuna fishing vessels, so is it any wonder we lack data from fishing boats that spend months at sea with nobody watching? Is it any wonder that sharks and rays have been decimated when there are no catch limits for them?Spinetail devil rays, Baja California, Mexico © naturepl.com / Mark Carwardine / WWFBut I refuse to lose hope. So many marine species can bounce back if we take the pressure off. The smooth hammerhead, for example, is slowly recovering in the Atlantic thanks to the management measures that were implemented to counter earlier steep declines.To prevent extinctions and help recover these majestic creatures, WWF is urging all tuna fishing states to implement a set of urgent, science-based measures to recover oceanic sharks and rays. High on the list: 100% observer coverage on all industrial fishing vessels by 2030 to collect data, monitor catches, and prevent any illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Also needed: recovery plans for all critically endangered oceanic sharks and rays by 2023, and all the endangered ones by 2026.The dramatic plight of these iconic marine predators demands drastic actions from the countries that fish them. The alternative would be a devastating blow to the health of our ocean, and to the wonder and awe we experience from sharing this blue planet with sharks and rays.This article is written by Dr. Andy Cornish, WWF Global Shark Leader. Protect sharks and their habitats today—become a Shark Protector!