improving the understanding, management, and stewardship of threatened sharks and rays in Panama’s biodiversity-rich Coiba Island and the surrounding waters.

ATCF Contribution: $20,000

Grant Awarded: 2019

Location: panama city, panama

IMPACT: long-term engagement of local communities and the public in baseline research and conservation as well as promotion of engaged, conscientious and sustainable tourism.

Panama has emerged as one of the key traders of shark products and a key connector of critical shark habitats throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Although generally little known, Coiba Island is considered one of the best diving sites in the Western Hemisphere, the “other Galapagos” as it is increasingly termed, and an increasingly popular tourist destination. Coiba Island and its surrounding waters are also a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Park located in the Gulf of Chriqui and considered to have some of the richest marine biodiversity in Panama. Utilized by divers, sports fishers and traditional fishers, it is a key location for tourism.

Coiba and its surrounding waters are thought to be an important site for both frequently sighted but little known whitetip sharks and highly migratory threatened shark species including endangered scalloped hammerheads and whale sharks. Although dive operators have noted decreased numbers of sharks, especially hammerheads, in the past two decades, baseline data for the park is lacking and prevents a full understanding of the abundance, distribution and diversity of shark communities and associated fisheries. Artisanal fisheries, including the use of longlines to catch sharks, are legally permitted in many areas close to the National Park, and there are pending plans for large- scale developments on the island that would significantly increase impacts to the site’s fish populations. The need for action is ever urgent as Coiba is currently teetering on the edge of a red listing as a World Heritage Site in danger if the threat of unsustainable fisheries is not abated.

The ATCF and its members have awarded MarAlliance $20,000 to provide long-term protection of an environmental resource, wildland, waterway or threatened species to stop and reverse the decline of sharks and rays in Coiba Island and the surrounding waters.

THE ISSUE

The project’s engagement of visitors, fishers, local guides and divers in monitoring and citizen science through recording of sightings and shark and ray photos identification, coupled with conservation education will lay a foundation for local conservation action and highlight sharks and rays as non-consumptive species of value to local communities and the national economy.

THE GOAL

The ultimate goal of this project is to expand beyond Coiba to promote the understanding, management, and conservation action for sharks and rays throughout Panama while supporting the development of conscientious and locally based shark tourism. A successful wrap to the project would encompass the completion of all activities programmed, an engaged constituency, a body of knowledge that responds to informational needs to guide management and conservation and possible solutions identified with fishers for reducing fishing effort on threatened species of sharks. The project will have created a permanent sampling method and sites and lay the foundation for the longer term change in attitudes and behavior that are required for locally-led conservation of sharks and rays. Lastly, all generated information will provide requested inputs for policy- and decision-making for sharks at the local and national levels, enabling Panama to better meet its World Heritage and international convention obligations.

impacts

Long-term standardized and participatory monitoring in Coiba National Park focused on sharks and rays is established and adopted by managers as standard using fisheries-independent methods.
Visitors and local guides and divers are engaged in a collaborative and comprehensive citizen science project to provide long-term data on sharks and rays in Coiba that complements and expands the punctual long- term monitoring efforts.
Tourism sector and two key coastal fishing communities engaged in education and outreach qualitatively demonstrate a change in negative perceptions towards sharks and consumer behavior over the long term.
Coiba National Park decision makers and managers integrate monitoring and citizen science results into their management plans and use them to guide enforcement efforts.

PROJECT UPDATES

Coming soon…

MORE ABOUT maralliance

Founded in 2014, MarAlliance explores, enables, and inspires positive change for threatened marine wildlife, their critical habitats, and dependent human communities. The organization is a dynamic international non-profit organization registered as a 501c3 in California, USA, that designs and conducts collaborative grassroots research and conservation action on tropical threatened marine megafauna such as sharks, rays, turtles and large finfish. Working with fishers and other key stakeholders of the sea, MarAlliance promotes sustainable small-scale coastal fisheries and generate essential data on fish populations, behavior and ecology to enable fact-based conservation and management, often in the context of established or proposed marine protected areas. Through work with fishers, MarAlliance promotes the use of sustainable fishing methods and create economic income diversification initiatives to decrease pressures on fisheries and improve good stewardship and management practices. The organization delights in informing and educating students, fishers, tourism guides, decision-makers and the public at large about marine megafauna science and conservation both at sea and through more formal land-based means. The organization’s communication strategy is broad: to share findings and other key information at many levels, from partner communities to large public events, international congresses, social media and television.

“We are positively thrilled to receive a grant from ATCF for Saving Coiba's Sharks in Panama. ATCF funds will help us to conduct community-based monitoring science that engages and supports the local tourism sector, where guides, visitors and very importantly traditional fishers take part in shark monitoring to ultimately increase pride and long-term stewardship of these threatened species. This support couldn't have come at a better time in light of Covid-19's impacts on the local business and fisheries sectors that will need a big boost following the lifting of quarantine” - MarAlliance Founder and Executive Director

ADOPT A PROJECT PROGRAM

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SAVING COIBA’S SHARKS WITH COMMUNITIES IN PANAMA