Hannah Darrin, Eyes on the Horizon, Community-Based Monitoring of Elasmobranch Catches in Mozambique
Channel: African Campus
Date: 04/05/2013

Oral Presentation

Hannah M. Darrin, Lauren J. K. Warnell and Simon J. Pierce
Eyes on the Horizon, Olhos no Horozonte, Maputo, Mozambique

Mozambique remains one of the poorest countries in the world. A heavy reliance on coastal waters as a source of both income and protein lead to pressure on elasmobranch populations through subsistence and artisanal fisheries, but a low enforcement and monitoring capacity means that catches are relatively unmanaged. Fishing methods, predominately line fishing or gill netting, are indiscriminant and threatened elasmobranch species are regularly caught. A lack of baseline data on the species composition of local catches hampers conservation or management interventions. Eyes on the Horizon (EOTH) is a Mozambican marine conservation association that aims to close this information gap. Through targeted survey work and a large reporting network of individuals along the coast, basic data on species composition and numbers of elasmobranchs caught are recorded. Several cross border species, including white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), bull sharks (Carcharinus leucas), and whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), are affected by these fisheries. The international trade in shark fins fuels these catches, while a lack of economic alternatives for fishers is a key challenge. Increased data collection and active management is needed for these fisheries to move toward sustainability.