GCT Shark Campaign 2010

Introduction

 In 2007, GCT broke news of the plight of sharks within the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) due to illegal activities, such as shark finning and long line fishing. The shark is an iconic  figure in the Marine Reserve. It attracts many visitors each year and its plight can be used to highlight the vulnerability of the entire ecosystem within the GMR.

GCT chose sharks to front their campaign to protect the Marine Reserve, as they are key players within this environment. They are the top predators, top of the food chain and without sharks there would be a fatal imbalance that could cause a domino effect of problems for the whole archipelago, including the human population that rely so heavily on these finite resources. Research into the behaviour and movement of sharks can also help scientists in understanding the Reserve as a whole.

The GMR is a key contributor to life within the Galapagos archipelago. It is home to thousands of marine species, some of which are yet to be discovered. The Marine Reserve also provides a food source to land based animals and a livelihood to many of the human population.

Although both are ultimately caused by continuing development and human intervention, the Marine Reserve faces different problems to the terrestrial environment. The GMR is vulnerable to over exploitation, with the marine creatures used as a commodity, and not one that is currently being treated in a sustainable manner.

Crucial research needs to take place, so that the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) can provide data and advice to the Galapagos National Park Service, who manages the Reserve in terms of both protection and monitoring.

Three key factors to consider:

• The Galapagos Marine Reserve is one of the largest Marine Reserves in the world and provides a refuge to sharks and other endangered species.
• The fate of the Marine Reserve hinges on sharks that are top predators, hence top of the food chain.
• We understand very little about the Galapagos marine environment and need to know more by supporting research.

Shark campaign information

• Background information on the Galapagos Marine Reserve
• Illegal fishing including shark finning
• What can you do to help!

 

Building on our success so far

During 2007, GCT launched its shark campaign to raise awareness of the threats to sharks in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). We also joined forces with several other UK-based organisations to call for a ban on the import of shark fins to Britain.

 Over the past three years we are delighted to have raised £48,000 in support of GCT's shark campaign. 2009's target of £29,000 was only marginally higher than what we had raised in 2007 and 2008 and in meeting this we would be able to support shark monitoring for another year and the initiation of a new project to investigate large pelagic fish stocks in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. This introduced two new activities: to identify research goals and seek funding for more extensive investigation of additional pelagic (dwelling in open sea) species.  It also builds on research undertaken in 2009 on a population study of one of the key species, wahoo, and an investigation of feeding habits of pelagic species, both of which place these investigations in the context of the marine ecosystem.

2008 marked the 10th anniversary of the creation of the GMR and we decided to broaden our campaign to raise much-needed funds for all the species that play a part in this fragile marine ecosystem. While supporting monitoring work is critical, the broader socio-economic and environmental challenges also need to be tackled if we are to guarantee a sustainable future for the Reserve as a whole and the wonderful array of creatures who depend upon it. Because while they are still vulnerable to indiscriminate human activity, they are all at great risk. This year, therefore, we will continue raising funds to support research into a sustainable future for both the local fishing industry and the local population.

 

Background information on the Galapagos Marine Reserve

Since Darwin, the unique natural wonders of the Galapagos Archipelago have inspired and awed humanity. Due to its geographic location, the Galapagos islands and their surrounding waters encompass a truly unique oceanic environment: a tropical archipelago located among large ocean currents where strong upwelling of cold mineral-rich water occurs. The resulting diversity in biota includes warm water species such as manta rays, corals, sharks, to temperate water species, such as sea lions and kelp, to cold water species, such as fur seals and penguins. Due to the exceptional biodiversity and high degree of marine endemism of the Galapagos Archipelago, they were granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1998.

Galapagos Marine Reserve

© WildAid

Overall, the 144,000 km2 Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) is the fourth largest in the world and is one of the few places where sharks are protected (figure 1). The most pressing threats to the GMR are the long term effects of over-fishing, the increasing frequency of El Nino and illegal fishing.

Protecting the marine environment in Galapagos is more complex than simply funding a project to research the lives and activities of any one species, although we recognise the importance of this exercise too and continue to raise funds in this area.

To protect the entire marine ecosystem, not only do we need to look at species specific projects, but also projects that incorporate human intervention, since humans are both the direct and indirect cause of vulnerable species' demise. GCT works closely with their partners in Galapagos to support projects that involve educating the human population about the importance of this World Heritage Site and helping them to seek alternative employment from, for example, over fishing and illegal fishing within these protected waters.

The Marine Reserve hosts a whole range of species in its waters from shark and fish populations to seabirds, turtles and sea lions, all of which play a fundamental role within this aquatic ecosystem and to tourists' once in a lifetime experience in the islands.

Many iconic species live and feed within the Marine Reserve and no doubt all of us will find our favourite Galapagos animal in this list of just some of the species effected:

Species reliant on the Galapagos Marine Reserve:

Larger species Sharks Whales Sea lions Fur Seals Turtles Marine Iguanas Dolphins Birds Boobies - blue-footed, red-footed, nasca Waved Albatross - endemic Flightless Cormorant - endemic Galapagos penguin - endemic Gulls, including the rare, endemic lava gull

Other Coastal Plants, including Mangrove Crabs, including the Sally light foot crab Sea urchins Species that are particularly vulnerable Sharks Sea cucumber Lobsters Waved albatross Penguins Cormorants Marine Iguanas

There are various funds supporting projects researching and protecting these species and a donation towards the GCT Shark Campaign 2009 will ensure that your money is used for priority projects, identified and agreed by the Charles Darwin Foundation and Galapagos Conservation Trust.

 

Illegal fishing including shark finning

Due to the high commercial value of key fisheries (i.e. $120 kilo for shark fin), illegal fishing still takes place within the GMR.  

All shark fishing in Galapagos is illegal as is the use of longlines and gillnets. Evidence also suggests that since these can trap and kill these vulnerable predators, but they are still employed openly by many illegal fishing boats. The wasteful and unsustainable practice known as 'finning', i.e. the removal of fins at sea from live sharks with discard of the body, is still taking place. Divers have reported viewing as many as 12 finned sharks lying dead on the ocean floor at popular dive sites in the archipelago.

While the obstacles in halting shark finning in the GMR are many, the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS), in cooperation with partners, has designed a comprehensive plan to crack down on violators. The GNPS is currently undertaking a special effort to increase patrolling of the GMR through the deployment of a new oceanic patrol vessel called the Yoshka and a floating barge called the Tiburon Martillo among the islands of Wolf and Darwin. These initiatives, in combination with the Sea Wolf Park patrol plane, will be instrumental in identifying and apprehending foreign fishing boats illegally fishing in the GMR.

Alongside these patrols and preventative measures, vital research is being carried out by the Charles Darwin Foundation to understand more about the behaviour and movement of key species, such as Hammerhead sharks, Whale sharks, White tipped reef sharks and the Galapagos shark. This work is vital to ensure that the best possible conditions are maintained to conserve these iconic species and to identify ways that the marine life and local population can co-exist.