Mangroves for the Future supports Scalloped hammerhead shark fishery survey |27 April 2015

Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is working on an assessment of the Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) population and fishery in Seychelles.

The project has recently been approved for support under the MFF Small Grants Facility and is being managed by the Artisanal Shark Fishers Association (ASFA).  

The Scalloped hammerhead, or Marto Rouz in Creole, is one of three species of hammerhead known to occur in Seychelles waters.  A survey in 2013 showed that Marto Rouz was the second most common species caught in Seychelles artisanal fishery constituting over 18%, numerically, of all sharks caught. For artisanal shark fishermen, that is fishermen who actively target shark with specialised modified anchored long lines known locally as ‘drag’, this species is the single most important component of their catch due to its size and relative abundance.

Artisanal shark fishermen in Seychelles practise wise use. They land the whole shark and utilise its meat, skin, fins, stomach, teeth and jaws. They are not involved in the unsustainable practise of “finning” where the fins of the animal are taken and the body discarded, the meat in particular is an important source of income for them and a popular source of cheap high quality protein on the local market.  Fins are used however and exported to overseas markets.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which Seychelles is a party, decided at its 16th Conference of the Parties in 2013 to list the Scalloped hammerhead in Appendix II which means since September 2014 the export of products from this species requires a CITES permit.

To comply with its CITES obligations the Seychelles CITES Authority, that resides with the Ministry of Environment, should only issue permits where ‘the export will not be detrimental to the survival of the species’.

 The government, though, currently has no data on the Scalloped hammerhead population and its fishery on the Mahé plateau. This is where ASFA and its research partners can help. ASFA, its members and partners have been collecting shark data catch for three years. This year, with support from MFF, special focus will be placed on the catch of Scalloped hammerheads from the seasonal targeted fishery, from the broader hand line fishery and the by-catch of juveniles in the mackerel fishery. Tissue samples will be taken from adult specimens to allow for DNA analysis of the population.

Mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA analysis will be undertaken to ascertain population genetic distinctiveness, diversity and the genetic criteria of “effective population size”. Effective population size is an indicator as to the number of breeding females in the population which, when coupled with the size and sex ratio of catch data and the known life history characteristics of the species,  can provide a basis for assessing the sustainability of the fishery and hence whether CITES permits can be issued.

This project is an excellent example of MFF helping coastal stakeholders to empower themselves and support sustainable development initiatives.

MFF is an international partner-led initiative to promote investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development.

From its beginnings, following the 2004 tsunami, the MFF now functions in 11 Indian Ocean countries.  MFF has been operational in Seychelles for several years with a local office under the capable management of Seychelloise environmental professional Lyndy Bastienne.  

Other MFF activities in Seychelles include projects on habitat restoration, biodiversity protection and the promotion of sustainable development, and seek to promote local community and private sector involvement in coastal resources management.

More can be learned about Mangroves for the Future and its activities in Seychelles from its web page: www.mangrovesforthefuture.org/countries/members/seychelles