Social Factors Affecting Sustainable Shark Conservation and Management in Belize

Abstract

Predatory sharks contribute to healthy coral reef ecosystems; however their populations are declining. This paper explores some of the important social factors affecting shark conservation outcomes in Belize through a qualitative analysis of the shark-related activities, attitudes and perceptions among local stakeholders and their perceived relative ability to influence shark conservation policies. Drawing on key informant interviews and focus groups, respondents suggested that considerable demand for shark meat originates from markets in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, especially during Lent, driving larger-scale shark fishing operations within Belize waters. Different stakeholders reported a wide range of uses for shark products, and reported diverging perceptions concerning the status and value of shark populations in Belize, with conflicting attitudes towards their conservation. Such conflicting perceptions among stakeholders can pose a serious challenge to sustainable shark conservation and management, and ultimately undermine collaborative governance objectives. Belize shark conservation issues likely need to be addressed at the scale of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, perhaps by taking a transboundary approach that better accounts for the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders from Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

An evaluation of the public’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) in Trinidad and Tobago regarding sharks and shark consumption

“…Understanding the local context of sharks is essential to planning effective sustainable management and conservation initiatives [49,50,51]. In Trinidad and Tobago, shark consumption is prevalent but not frequent, and consumers generally knew very little about sharks even though they had good attitudes towards sustainable shark use and the public health implications of shark consumption.…”

Two thirds of species in a global shark fin trade hub are threatened with extinction: Conservation potential of international trade regulations for coastal sharks

“…The proximate threat identified in Red List assessments for most chondrichthyan species is unsustainable fishing. The disproportionate occurrence of threatened species in the dried fin trade suggests that for some species and populations, the ultimate threat could be driven in part by their value for international trade (e.g., Jaiteh et al., 2016; Sabbagh & Hickey, 2019; Pincinato et al., 2022). Supporting this, 100% of species that have the premium‐priced fins in Hong Kong (Clarke et al., 2007) are in threatened categories and all but one are in the highest threat categories (i.e., EN and CR).…”

“…Chondrichthyan products range in market value from relatively inexpensive meat for local consumption to high‐value export products, such as dried fins (Dell'Apa et al., 2014). Large, accessible international markets can encourage fishing to supply external luxury markets (e.g., fins) or demand for meat beyond what is required to satisfy local and national needs (e.g., Jaiteh et al., 2016; Sabbagh & Hickey, 2019; Pincinato et al., 2022). If international trade is commonly the ultimate driver of unsustainable fishing, we expect that species subject to international trade would tend to be at higher risk of extinction than species primarily caught for domestic consumption, or not fished at all because of the greater incentive to target or retain high‐value export species.…”

Using fisher‐contributed secondary fins to fill critical shark‐fisheries data gaps

“…It is not clear whether all licensed fishers participated in this program because we did not know how many were represented by the anal fins turned in by the 13 participating representatives. We did not consider bycatch and subsistence fishing, but both are minor components of the total shark catch in Belize (Sabbagh & Hickey 2020). Nonetheless, given the large sample size obtained, wide distribution of participating representatives in terms of community of origin, and proportional representation by managed access area, we consider it likely that anal fins provided a representative sample of the species composition of the shark fishery for the 2017-2018 fishing season.…”