Conservation issues

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SHARK FINNING / ILLEGAL FISHING

Both artisanal fisheries operating inshore and foreign vessels offshore target the marine resources of southern Mozambique. Many shark and ray (elasmobranch) species are caught by inshore net and line fisheries in and around the Tofo Beach area, including manta rays (Manta birostris), devil rays (Mobula spp.),whiprays (Himantura spp.), stingrays (Dasyatis spp.) white-spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari), leopard sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum), whaler sharks (Carcharhinus spp.) and hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.).

Inshore fisheries are extremely lucrative by local standards, with the fins from a single shark being worth around 3000 Mets (approximately US$120). The local white-spotted guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) and bow-mouth guitarfish (Rhina ancyclostoma) populations have been particularly hard-hit, with anecdotal reports suggesting that these species have been reduced to very low levels on reefs where they were abundant before long-line fisheries began locally in the early 2000's.

The fisheries sector contributes 40-50% of foreign exchange earnings to the Mozambican economy. Unfortunately, the lack of infrastructure available for coastal monitoring and law enforcement leaves the country vulnerable to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing by foreign-owned vessels. IUU fishing is usually unsustainable for both target species and the ecosystem. These vessels have relatively low costs and few social responsibilities compared to licensed operators, driving them to irresponsible exploitation of resources. The estimated 2003-2004 cost of IUU fishing to Mozambique was close to $40 million. The Fisheries Agency of Japan estimated in 2005 that 150-200 Taiwanese vessels were currently operating shark finning longline fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean.

To document and combat these illegal and unsustainable practices a network of tourism operators and other interested parties have been contributing to the 'Eyes on the Horizon' initiative. By providing a centralised location to report IUU fishing or other concerns, EOTH hope to be able to provide relevant government departments with timely surveillance information to fill the current gap in infra-structure. Visit the EOTH website for more information.

Due to the nature of IUU fishing, little documentation exists on its extent or environmental impacts. For more information, please see the following websites and online reports:

Illegal Fishing:The Case of Mozambique.

Review of Impacts of Illegal, Unreported and UnregulatedFishing on Developing Countries.

IUU Fishing on the High Seas: Impacts on Ecosystems andFuture Science Needs.

A primary target of IUU shark finning operations in the Western Indian Ocean is the giant guitarfish, Rhynchobatus djiddensis. See the IUCN Red List assessment for this species for a summary of fishing impacts in southern Africa.

An extensive photo library of fishing and finning shots is available upon request. Please contact us for details.

SUSTAINABLE MARINE TOURISM

Although the development of marine tourism can create a powerful economic incentive for conservation, the industry itself can itself lead to detrimental impacts if improperly managed. Both whale sharks and manta rays are major draws for international visitors, and the numbers of dive operators and boats in the Tofo Beach area is rapidly increasing.

The best-known dive site in Inhambane Province is Manta Reef, a world-class location for manta ray encounters. Manta ray sighting rates are consistently high on the reef because of the presence of cleaning staions: small patches where fish associate with soft coral colonies. Mantas visit these areas regularly to have dead skin, parasites and wounds cleaned or removed by several species of small fish. Though there are several other cleaning stations on reefs in the vicinity, Manta Reef is the most frequently dived as it is the overlap site for Tofo Beach-based dive operators and those based south of Inhambane city.

These cleaning stations are critical habitats, and require protection from both fishing and unrestricted dive practices. While concientious divers appear to have minimal impacts on manta behaviour, the rays are easily disturbed by people not following simple guidelines. We work directly with local dive operators and at a regional level through AMAR, the Mozambican diving association, to ensure best-practice conduct by all parties.

Whale shark tourism is also expanding in popularity locally. Again, when swimmers adhere to basic guidelines there appear to be minimal impacts on shark behaviour. We are currently conducting research on the impacts of swimmer behaviour on whale sharks, and how effectively the introduction of a code of conduct on interaction mitigates any potential disruption. We are also working to educate dive operators and customers on how to maximise the enjoyment of swimmers while avoiding any negative responses by sharks.