Public urged not to disturb sharks coming inshore to give birth |23 September 2023

The press conference: (l to r) Ms Dias, Mr Michaud, Mr Hassan and Mr Lucas

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) is urging recreational fishermen to refrain from catching sharks who come in our coastal shallow waters to give birth, especially bull shark which is on the endangered list.

It was the interim chief executive of SFA, Philippe Michaud, who made the statement during an interview with the local media following a video aired on social media which shows a group of recreational fishermen slitting open two bull sharks, caught in the vicinity of Port Victoria, among which one was pregnant with eight pups.

Also present at the press interview were the deputy CEO of SFA, Ashik Hassan, the head of department fisheries resources management and technical coordination, Vincent Lucas and the director biodiversity conservation of the Department of Environment within the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Ashley Dias.

“Coming closer to our shores, especially during this time in September to October to give birth as part of protection of their pups against predators, forms part of their natural life cycle and we should make our utmost to ensure that they are not disturbed,” said Mr Michaud, who noted that sharks play a very important role in keeping the ocean's delicate ecosystem in balance.

Mr Michaud said that SFA is for responsible fisheries and every sea creature plays a role in the environment of the sea.

He further said that the bull sharks are endangered species with a very long reproduction life cycle with very few pups. He added that if we eliminate them it will not be good for the environment, the fisheries and for Seychelles image.

He stated that SFA has not had any report of local commercial fishermen targeting these sharks other than private individuals who think it is great to catch a big shark and to take a photo. He added that none the less, SFA will continue to educate fishermen and recreational fishermen on the preservation and sustainable fishing of sharks in our waters.

He added that such education has gone well with the industrial fishing sector which have resulted in a huge reduction in the amount of sharks caught as by-catch.

Mr Michaud said members of the public should therefore take extra precaution when going in the sea or  river mouth during this time of the year, especially in the evening, at night or when it is raining, as it is the time when the bull sharks among other sharks come to breed.

He also discourages the discarding of fish guts and other leftovers as well as rubbish anywhere in the sea which are some of the factors that attract sharks and other predators.

For her part, Ms Dias said the department of Environment is very concerned about the number of mature female bull sharks being killed annually in our waters.

She added that the shark is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species and if nothing is done globally to protect them, they will disappear.

She noted that the bull shark is the only important predator of a kind in our waters at the moment to help in the balance of ocean’s coastal ecosystem following the disappearance of the white shark.

“We are always educating on the sustainable use of our marine resources and its conservation for the benefit of our children and generations to come. So we will continue to educate the public to remove the misconception that portrays sharks as beasts rather than highlighting their importance in the eco-system,” said Ms Dias, who noted that humans are the actual menace to sharks as compared to them being a menace to us.

Mr Lucas said that the use of nets is the only measure that SFA has in place to regulate shark fishing apart from consultation with stakeholders for its sustainability. He stated that the authority will as from next year work with stakeholders to draft a co-management plan geared towards the conservation and sustainability of sharks in our waters.

He said that the plan will not prevent people from eating shark meat as it will continue to be available. He encouraged fishermen to release all baby sharks caught while fishing.

It is to be noted that recreational fishermen are not licensed to sell their catch while licenses for industrial fishing of sharks in our waters are not being granted.

Patrick Joubert