15/01/2021
An important read ... context is critical.
Over the past few days, there has been increased attention & interest, some of which has resulted in the sharing of false or misleading information and fake news in Barbados surrounding sharks. This appears to have resulted from a reported shark "attack" in St. Kitts & Nevis last week which has prompted some Governments in the Caribbean region to issue bulletins, advisories and urge caution for users of the sea.
This is also following a reported and unfortunately fatal incident with a shark in French St. Martin in December 2020.
As such, I wished to share a bit more information on sharks, primarily in Barbados in the hopes that it will help to spread awareness on these important species.
Firstly, both sharks & rays have adapted to living in a wide range of habitats in the Ocean / sea - this is their home. As Barbados is surrounded by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, yes this does mean that sharks live in Barbadian waters which are home to a diversity of shark & ray species.
Growing up in a family of Ocean lovers including fishers and speafishers, I remember hearing stories of sharks and also seeing my first shark at 6 years old in the waters of the Caribbean.
If you speak with spearfishers, fishers, surfers, divers or even your grandfather who likes shark liver oil, they may have a story or 12 to share with you on sharks in Barbados.
As my interest in sharks peaked, I explored these species through learning and broadening my knowledge & skills including with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Global FinPrint & IUCN to name a few.
As such, I wished to share the following which are my personal views based on my knowledge & experiences over the past years.
Based on my research with FAO which included many conversations, visits to fish markets and landing sites, surveys, boat trips and dives, we created a preliminary poster of the most commonly caught and sighted species of sharks & rays in Barbados waters: http://www.fao.org/3/a-bc383e.pdf. This is not a full list and has also been updated slightly since with changes to some of the local names and to reflect some additional species, however, it gives an idea of the potential diversity (types) of sharks & rays that can be found in Barbadian waters. It must be noted that some of these species can be found on average up to 200 miles offshore while others may be reef associated species and sighted by spearfishers for example on the East Coast (in areas where the average individual does not take a Sunday sea bath) from time to time.
Based on this preliminary research which began in 2015, the most commonly caught and landed shark species in the main primary market, the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex were the short fin mako (lion) shark & the blue (peter) shark, often caught by longline vessels which target yellow fin tuna and other offshore open water species.
There is a small directed fishery for sharks which meets the demand for shark meat consumption and shark oil use in the island (more on shark consumption and sustainable seafood in another post)!
At a policy recommendation level, this research led to the development of something called a National Plan of Action (NPOA) for the Conservation & Management of Sharks in Barbados which unfortunately was never adopted. However, it must be noted that the catching of sharks is still legal in Barbadian waters and that there is a need for strengthened management & legislative framework in the Caribbean to appropriately address the conservation & management of these species.
There is no scientific evidence that suggests that there has been an increase in sharks (abundance) or an increase in different types (diversity) of species of sharks in Barbadian waters over the past months. However, it is important to note that the Ocean is changing and facing many threats including climate change, overfishing, impacts from land based sources of pollution and marine pollution. This includes changes in water temperatures (and in some instances slightly cooler temperatures in some Caribbean islands this year as a result of the Southern Oscillation that we are in) & an apparent change in the amount of prey and potential migration patterns of some marine species that do migrate. There is also a small possibility that the reduction in marine traffic as a result of the COVID - 19 pandemic could be one of the potential reasons for anecdotal information on an apparent increased number of sightings.
It is important to remember that when you enter the sea, you are entering the home of a diversity of marine species some of which may pose potential threats and as such , it is important to not only be aware but know how to act to minimise risk of threats.
With regards to risk from shark interactions, incidents & attacks (provoked & unprovoked), there are hundreds of shark species, of which a very small number of species have been reported to be associated with "attacks".
Although the relative risk of a shark attack is small, risks should always be minimised whenever possible in any activity. Here are some tips to minimise risk of a shark interaction or incident:
-When in the sea, always stay in groups as sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual
-Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are more active
-Avoid waters with known effluents or sewage and those used by fishermen who have been baiting or chumming up the water
-If diving or spearfishing, always dive with a buddy and if spearfishing, conceal fish in a suitable bag such as a crocus bag
Sharks are a very misunderstood species and it is important to fight the fear and panic with facts. For example, there are many other things including marine species such as box jelly fish and mosquito borne diseases such as dengue that are more likely to kill you than sharks.
As the Caribbean places a greater focus on the Blue Economy - our Ocean, it is important that we all better understand this space and how to protect it.
If interested in learning more, check out some of these resources which I have created or contributed towards until I can share more information.
If there is anyone who would like to use this information to create a visual, PSA or short animated video so that more people will look at it and hopefully learn, please reach out!
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5691e.pdf
https://thirteennorthfiftyninewest.wordpress.com/tag/sharks-in-barbados/
https://www.sustainable-caribbean.com/articles
https://www.sustainable-caribbean.com/fun-facts
