By Shannon Crosby

Conservation is never a black-and-white science, and the conservation of sharks in particular presents all sorts of additional obstacles as a result of past misconceptions around these magnificent creatures. As shark conservationists, we have a responsibility to continually analyze our methods of conservation, seek out new ways to improve and promote conservation, and consider the effects of our methods across all industries. Generally, measuring the effects of our conservation efforts requires data; citizen science is one of the best ways to continually collect data and reflect the changes that different conservation efforts can bring to shark populations and to local economies. 

At its core, citizen science is the use of any and all shark encounters in tourism as an opportunity to collect data about the sharks seen during that encounter. Tourists, tour operators and crew members can take pictures to add to a research database, collect information like the quantity, species, and identifying marks of the sharks present, and sometimes even take notes about the conditions of the environment during the encounter. This community effort at collecting data provides priceless information for researchers and conservationists to draw from to track the efficiency of certain methods and to propose plans for potential new methods. One of the best things about citizen science is that it allows passionate participants of the shark tourism industry to provide a meaningful contribution to the protection of the sharks they are so eager to interact with underwater; it is a way for people to directly involve themselves in improving the lives of the sharks and other ocean life they pay to see.   

While in an ideal world, conservationists would be able to provide shark experiences to enthusiasts without the use of attractants, the reality is that spotting a shark in their natural habitat by happenstance is extremely rare — particularly with species that spend their time in the open ocean (like blue sharks, mako sharks, and silky sharks). If we relied on chance encounters to fuel the public passion and financial support that is necessary to truly make a difference in the protection of these sharks, we frankly would not succeed. Therefore, while it is sometimes argued that the use of attractants to nearly guarantee a shark encounter could result in some long-term repercussions, it also affords undeniably significant improvements in the protection and rehabilitation of shark populations in our oceans.

To further explore the positive outcomes derived from increased shark encounters and compare them to the potential negative repercussions, we look to Clara Calatayud Pavia, the founder of The Shark Odyssey (a citizen science program for sharks) and director at Mexico Azul (a marine conservation organization). Pavia’s professional background in marine biology and her daily encounters with sharks in Cabo through Mexico Azul and Cabo Shark Dive allow her access to unique intel about sharks and their interactions with humans and their environment. In her recent article with Let’s Dive Mag, Pavia explains the lesser-known reality of a diver’s, photographer’s, or researcher’s encounter with a shark: the use of attractants. 

Attractants are a common topic of controversy when discussions occur between conservationists and the public. Some argue that using attractants could alter the natural behavior of sharks, causing them to expect human interactions as a food source over their natural hunting behaviors. While there is some evidence to suggest that repeated animal-waste dumping in the same spot (by restaurants, processing plants, etc) can encourage local sharks to gather there expecting an easy meal, there is no evidence to suggest that these short-term behavioral changes have any long-term effects on the shark’s ecological behavior or migration patterns.

In relation to ecotourism, there are many studies that aim to dissect the nuances of the idea that attractants can change sharks’ feeding behaviors. A study that was done in Guadalupe with white sharks could be used as an example: the researchers used photographs of the sharks (many of which were taken by citizen scientists!) to identify their age and sex, and they used 4 different types of bait to observe 6,145 interactions with 121 identified white sharks. Repeated baiting of the same 121 sharks allowed the scientists to observe whether the feeding conditioned the sharks’ behaviors over time. The researchers found that 59% of the sharks showed no conditioning, 36% showed low risk of conditioning, and only 5% showed high risk of conditioning, which suggests that ecotourism attractants do not condition white sharks’ natural feeding patterns. 

Discussing the benefits of attractant use even further, a recent study out of the University of Miami highlights how shark conservation in Fiji became more economically valuable to the local government because of a local dive shop’s drive to host (regulated) baited scuba diving interactions. When the government designated The Shark Marine Reserve to be run by the dive operation in 2014, fisherman agreed to fish outside the reserve so that sharks could be safely baited into the reserve for dive tourism. Every diver pays a fee that goes directly into maintaining the reserve, and the local fisherman get a percentage of the dive tourism profits for continuing to fish away from the reserve. This structure encourages a healthy reef ecosystem, which fuels healthy fish and shark populations and makes local fishing and ecotourism more sustainable in the long term. In the international dive community, Fiji is now considered one of the best shark destinations; as result, Fiji’s economy is largely stimulated by ecotourism activities like shark diving and underwater photography. 

This scenario demonstrates that, if integrated successfully, shark ecotourism fuels both steady economic gains and increased conservation efforts of local reef systems to maintain the tourism income. The outcome is a healthier environment and a healthier economy for the community that would not be possible without the use of attractants to draw in sharks.

In any successful ecotourism community, there is continued cooperation between the dive community, the local fishermen, and the local government. In many of these scenarios, citizen science and the passionate support of invested tourists has helped pave the way for the implementation of conservation policy that results in such profitable ecotourism. Most of the success stories we see came about because advocates like Clara Calatayud Pavia got people involved in the study and protection of sharks every day. On your next vacation, make it a point to explore how you could get involved with the local citizen science programs, or seek one out close to home!