From sea monsters to charismatic megafauna: Changes in perception and use of large marine animals

Abstract

Marine megafauna has always elicited contrasting feelings. In the past, large marine animals were often depicted as fantastic mythological creatures and dangerous monsters, while also arousing human curiosity. Marine megafauna has been a valuable resource to exploit, leading to the collapse of populations and local extinctions. In addition, some species have been perceived as competitors of fishers for marine resources and were often actively culled. Since the 1970s, there has been a change in the perception and use of megafauna. The growth of marine tourism, increasingly oriented towards the observation of wildlife, has driven a shift from extractive to non-extractive use, supporting the conservation of at least some species of marine megafauna. In this paper, we review and compare the changes in the perception and use of three megafaunal groups, cetaceans, elasmobranchs and groupers, with a special focus on European cultures. We highlight the main drivers and the timing of these changes, compare different taxonomic groups and species, and highlight the implications for management and conservation. One of the main drivers of the shift in perception, shared by all the three groups of megafauna, has been a general increase in curiosity towards wildlife, stimulated inter alia by documentaries (from the early 1970s onwards), and also promoted by easy access to scuba diving. At the same time, environmental campaigns have been developed to raise public awareness regarding marine wildlife, especially cetaceans, a process greatly facilitated by the rise of Internet and the World Wide Web. Currently, all the three groups (cetaceans, elasmobranchs and groupers) may represent valuable resources for ecotourism. Strikingly, the economic value of live specimens may exceed their value for human consumption. A further change in perception involving all the three groups is related to a growing understanding and appreciation of their key ecological role. The shift from extractive to non-extractive use has the potential for promoting species conservation and local economic growth. However, the change in use may not benefit the original stakeholders (e.g. fishers or whalers) and there may therefore be a case for providing compensation for disadvantaged stakeholders. Moreover, it is increasingly clear that even non-extractive use may have a negative impact on marine megafauna, therefore regulations are needed.

Assessment of cetacean–fishery interactions in the marine food web of the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea)

“…In the Mediterranean Sea, the exploitation of fishery resources acts as a driving force on top predators both directly, by determining their fishing mortality or injury as by-catch species, and, indirectly, through the lowering of the availability their prey (Colloca et al 2017;Mazzoldi et al 2019). For example, the common bottlenose and the short-beaked common dolphin populations declined in North-eastern Ionian Sea also because of the depletion of their prey harvested by fishery (Piroddi et al 2010).…”

Consumer appreciation of a shark-free eco-label for small pelagics

“…The movie Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975, developed among people a great fear of sharks. Mass media also allowed the dissemination of information regarding shark attacks, thus influencing public attitudes (Mazzoldi et al, 2019). On the other hand, it is now well-known the role of sharks as key species in marine ecosystems and the critical effects their reduction would cause directly to the trophic chain (Ferretti et al, 2008;Clua et al, 2011).…”

Fishing and trade of devil rays (Mobula spp.) in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh: Insights from fishers’ knowledge

“…Devil rays are particularly targeted for their high‐priced gill rakers, used to make Asian medicinal soup and for meat consumption (Rajapackiam, Mohan & Rudramurthy, 2007; Fernando & Stevens, 2011; Ward‐Paige, Davis & Worm, 2013; Acebes & Tull, 2016; Croll et al, 2016; O'Malley et al, 2016; Venables et al, 2016; Hosegood et al, 2018; Stewart et al, 2018; Mazzoldi et al, 2019). Devil ray products, both fresh and dry, are valuable (Fernando & Stevens, 2011; Croll et al, 2016), with the average price of a dry devil ray gill raker being US$ 95.63–228/kg in a Sri Lankan fish market (Fernando & Stevens, 2011; Croll et al, 2016).…”