By: Ranny Ramadhani Yuneni (Shark and Rays Bycatch Officer, WWF-Indonesia)

Following WWF-Indonesia's support for the protection of sharks and manta rays in West Manggarai, there are considerable obstacles in the field such as complaints from fishermen about the frequent occurrence of sharks being caught accidentally (bycatch) in fishing nets and fishing gear. This makes the fishermen go awry in handling it. [Read also: Saving Sharks and Manta Rays in West Manggarai]

Currently, most fishermen in West Manggarai, both inside and outside Komodo National Park (TN), do not make sharks their main target due to the ban on catching and trading sharks in the area. In addition, the current low selling price also discourages some fishermen from catching sharks. But in reality, according to WWF-Indonesia data from November 2015 to January 2015, there were still 94 small sharks caught at the Kampung Ujung Fish Auction Site (TPI). Meanwhile, a report from the West Manggarai Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP) in 2013 stated that shark production in West Manggarai Regency reached 2127.48 kg. How can this still happen after West Manggarai fishermen agreed not to make shark as the main target for the last 5 years?

As the top predatory animal in the food chain, sharks naturally have no predators or natural enemies to avoid so in their life cycle this group of fish does not develop any special strategies to protect themselves from predators. The only strategy is for a pregnant female shark to release her pups in a place away from large adult sharks in shallow or coastal waters. This affects the bycatch of West Manggarai fishermen whose fishing grounds are not far from fishing settlement islands where they often catch small sharks.

The fishing gear used by West Manggarai fishermen also affects shark bycatch, namely gill nets (gill net), circle nets (purse seinse), and handlines (handline) which have more than 20% risk of shark bycatch. Based on this background, on 27 August - 12 September 2015, Komodo National Park, West Manggarai Regency Government, and WWF-Indonesia attempted to provide socialization and training on handling sharks as bycatch to fishermen who have a risk of accidentally catching sharks in their fishing gear.

The socialization and training took place in Pasir Panjang Village (Rinca Island), Komodo Village (Komodo Island), Nangalili Village (Lembor Selatan), Messah Village (Messah Island), Pasir Putih Village (Seraya Besar Island), Gorontalo Village, Kampung Air, Kampung Baru, and Kampung Ujung (Labuan Bajo). The number of fishermen involved in this activity amounted to more than 220 fishermen who owned various kinds of fishing gear. According to Mustamin, one of the fishermen on Rinca Island, he gained valuable new experience to save sharks if they get caught in his net.

Through activities like this, it is hoped that it will not only reduce the number of shark bycatch, but also increase the capacity of fishermen in handling sharks as bycatch in West Manggarai and increase fishermen's knowledge of the important role of sharks in the marine ecosystem. In addition, fishermen who have received this training are also expected to become championss who can disseminate this shark handling information to other fishermen.