Thresher shark season in Bali. The slaughter begins again !

[zivva]

In my (humble) opinion you guys of the shark project should find the way to have a permanent (local) observer in Penida to understand exactly how many shark are fished all-year round. Going by yourself could be useful but unfortunately science (even conservation science) is based on numbers and repetitive observations, means, "statistically different" and so on. Of course photography are very good to emotional campaigns, but having numbers is the only (scientific) way to have a real and complete view on the problem.

Honestly, in my (humble) opinion, Dive Operators that make profit in diving around Nusa Penida and could make additional profits with more sharks around the island should pay to get local observers in Nusa Penida. Divided by the number of Dive Ops diving Nusa Penida year round, cost would be just ridiculous ...

Why Dive Ops would simply benefit from no / less shark fishing when they actually do nothing and just wait somebody else try to solve the issue for them ?

Lots of people have good ideas. Only a bunch of them still listen when it's about spending money, even little money ...

 

[Bali Diver]

Honestly, in my (humble) opinion, Dive Operators that make profit in diving around Nusa Penida and could make additional profits with more sharks around the island should pay to get local observers in Nusa Penida. Divided by the number of Dive Ops diving Nusa Penida year round, cost would be just ridiculous ...

Why Dive Ops would simply benefit from no / less shark fishing when they actually do nothing and just wait somebody else try to solve the issue for them ?

Lots of people have good ideas. Only a bunch of them still listen when it's about spending money, even little money ...

Totally agree with you 100% in such a high tourist diving area this should not be happening.There is loads of dive operations in the area and all making profits,each could contribute and help to solve these issues there is no excuses for what is happening.A lot of these so called dive centre go on about have conservation minded they are,what a load of Bull...t when nearby Loads of pregnent Threshers are slaughtered and their pups left to rot on the beaches and other examples going on around Bali.

Most are just really interested in money and thats a fact,Not long ago i was took a friend to Lembongan to WORLD DIVING and yes this place had changed and you could see all they are interested in was money and left knowing i won't be back,few others have also mentioned the same thing also.

As i mentioned in last post the Bali shark project should contain members of Dive centres in the area who are supportive and contribute to the project and at the same time those who are not supportive,divers should keep away from.indeed Divers should be interested in what Dive centres are involved for that reason.

 

[mrrworld]

Not only could the dive operators pay for monitors, but they could pay the fisherman not to fish sharks. In the end, it is about money and they only way to consumers can influence this is to boycott diving in Bali. Dive operators, the government, and the tourism industry will respond when their income stops but won't until it is too late.

 

[Quero]

Hi Francesco,

Great to have some thoughtful positive feed back !

Yes it would be a good idea to have a fishery monitor or several on Nusa Penida (and all over Indonesia).
The thought has occured to us.
The main draw back is that it would cost quite a bit of money.

I think the main drawback is finding somebody willing to actually do it. Anyone local is part of the network of families in the area--brothers, cousins, uncles--who fish. Would any local be part of a research project whose objective is to document illegal fisheries such as thresher shark fishing when the result of the research could be a detriment to their families? We see a similar problem in Thailand's marine national parks which are closed to fishing and yet are fished every single night. These are national parks that impose user fees in order to pay rangers to enforce the no-take rules. So why is enforcement limited to collecting user fees? Because the fishermen are the rangers' brothers, cousins, and uncles.

 

[BSP]

Hello All
Its one of the co-founders of the Bali Shark Project. Thank you all for your interest and support.
First of all: @the world... when you see that message in Spanish means your data has been processed. Thanks for signing.
@Zivva sorry yahoo is acting up and i can´t open it today to reply to you; there will be a link to a page to download the flyers, we are working on it, but it will be there soon. Please check the shark count programm, and participate, since you are in Lembongan your info about your shark (alive) sightings is very helpful!
I would love to have someone station in Penida and another one in Kusamba, however money or transport donations are needed, nobody so far has supported us with funds, we are paying our own money and going in our spare time researching, which means we also have to work, so no time at all to do it all. The very best will be to hire an indonesian do the job, its the more respectful and the proper way, but then you pay relocation etc.. and we can simply not afford it. So we rely on volunteers like zivva and ourselves.
Last year as we discover all this we contacted all the mayor dive centers in Bali and Lembongan and many medium size. I personally spend up to 12 hours a day sending Emails. Many show some interest which resolted in a hufe amount of emails bacjkward and fowards but not much more, other offer help by renting us the tank at a very high price or sending their staff for free on a boat that we shoudl pay for to look for the thresher cleaining stations (they were not really interested in the fishing), some offer us advise (like we should do something about it...), but most of them simply ignore us. It was very hurtful to see how they simply don´t care!
But three dive operators really came through offering boats, tanks, transport and their time: Bali Dive Tours, Scuba Seraya Resort (close to Tulamben) and Aquamarine.
This year we are in contact with some new dive centers and some with new managers. I will include everybody`s colaboration in the new report!
Those of you diving in Bali now or in the future could ask your dive operators about what they know, or have done, and asked them to support us, distribute the petition and participate with the shark counting research.

---------- Post added ----------

DEAR WISNA

I don´t understand your point.
So every western that reports damaging activities being carry out in Indonesia is not seeing beyond the color of the skin? Maybe it is you not seeing beyond it?.
I see people doing illegal fishing and i could care less is they are vikings or indonesians. I have participated in campains to stop shark fishing in Spain, seal cubbing in Canada, and whaling in Japan among others. But i happen to live here now, so here is were i do what i can to stop sea poaching.
I do not live in a villa in the south of Bali, i live among the very same people you say i don´t know. Many of our effords is to procure alternative income to the people involve in the shark fishing industry, not only the fishermen, but the women who clean and transport the sharks.
I understand you have your opinions but i have written the report and the website and i am getting tired of you hinting i am a racist and a liar and have no understanding of the average indonesian life.

 

[zivva]

@ mrworld : again, not sure boycotting Bali and Indonesia would be a good option.

1st : many locals are getting jobs & money from tourism (even if 95% of local population don't see the color of the money, 5% do ...).

2sd : you would need massive communication (so many time / $$$) in order to have an impact on tourism (not only from a bunch of SB readers ...). This time or money would be much better spent in helping the cause I guess

@ BSP : The resident guys that are studying Manta rays around Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Penida are already collecting data on megafauna sightings from most of the local Dive Centers here, I've just asked them to get sharks sightings data, I should be able to send you collected informations from the last 3 months quickly.

 

[Wisnu]

BSP,
What I meant skin is surface - not relating to any color of skin.
Read carefully my post - any proposed solution must look deep to the social and life aspect of the people.
Good intention only is not enough. As I said, I agree and support any marine conservation any where - BUT - please try to look into the root cause of the problem while minimizing the impact to the fishermen.
There's lot of effort from NGO to increase the income of Indonesian workers - excelent - but, the resutl, hundred thousand people lost the jobs.
What I want, please highlight the role of clean hands behind the shark killings and at the same time protect the fishermen same as better than the sharks.

 

[Bali Diver]

Hello All
Last year as we discover all this we contacted all the mayor dive centers in Bali and Lembongan and many medium size. I personally spend up to 12 hours a day sending Emails. Many show some interest which resolted in a hufe amount of emails bacjkward and fowards but not much more, other offer help by renting us the tank at a very high price or sending their staff for free on a boat that we shoudl pay for to look for the thresher cleaining stations (they were not really interested in the fishing), some offer us advise (like we should do something about it...), but most of them simply ignore us. It was very hurtful to see how they simply don´t care!



Yes that is really sad as i mentioned it also proves most dive op's don't care which is really sad and can imagine how hurtful you felt.

I hope that divers who do read this will use dive operations who do care,not one's who are ignorant and only concerned with their $$$.

@ZIVVA what dive operation do you work for on Lembongon

 

[zivva]

@ZIVVA what dive operation do you work for on Lembongon

The operator I'm working for do not much efforts on conservation : he does not deserve any publicity here ... It's a locally managed dive center : owners have the excuse of being much less educated about the environment than the western ops & dive pro overthere that still only think about day-to-day $$$ !

BTW, you were talking about one of Nusa Lembongan dive operator : this op is 1 of the only 2 that actually show concerns about the issue and don't go away when talking about conservation & environment in general. That can give you a good picture of the situation overthere ... Those 2 ops still do much more than the others that just promote pretented eco-friendly operations just in order to get more business.

 

[Bali Diver]

The operator I'm working for do not much efforts on conservation : he does not deserve any publicity here ... It's a locally managed dive center : owners have the excuse of being much less educated about the environment than the western ops & dive pro overthere that still only think about day-to-day $$$ !


Yes i understand the local thinking.Not good and only think day to day,crazy

As for the 2 OP'S on Lembongan,are they supporting the project and offering help,funds etc.. Action talks lounder than words.

Keep us updated on news and keep the good work going