Thresher Shark Project Indonesia was founded in 2018 and initially supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme for Asia Pacific Region. Our work aims to protect endangered pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) in Alor Island, Indonesia through investigating the critical habitat, socio-economic importance of the species for the community and conservation outreach to local schools. We combine research and community engagement to inform policy decision for local protection of the species
Read more about our latest work; from tagging the first thresher shark with a satellite tag, visiting local schools to tell thresher shark storybook to meeting with Regent Government of Alor.
Pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) is one of the most landed species in Indonesian shark fisheries. The species recently reclassified from Vulnerable to Endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), noting the significant and continuous population decline. Despite the change in status, Pelagic thresher sharks are still being overlooked, with minimum conservation efforts…
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Fishing for Thresher sharks by local communities in the Alor regency has been happening for more than 50 years. Despite this, fishing for Thresher sharks does not hold any cultural or traditional significance for the people of the Lewalu and Ampera communities of Alor. They simply fish for Thresher sharks when they cannot catch other…
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In order to acquire Thresher shark fisheries and catch data in Alor , our team on the ground conducted fisheries surveys. From July 2018 - May 2019, our team members visited the Ampera and Lewalu coastal areas to document the catch. We appointed and trained an individual from these communities on how to properly fill…
Read moreMy population keeps declining. Help me survive in the wild
Continues population declines for the past 10 years
As bycatch in industrial tuna fisheries
Annual revenues from tourism activities
Pelagic Thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) has just risen from "Vulnerable (VU)" to "Endangered (EN)" from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species. Although International Concern is rising, their species still largely understudied with no conservation priority sites, no critical habitat identified, and no education and outreach. Their population primarily depleted due to bycatch and targeted fisheries, both large and small scale. Their biological characteristics as slow-growing, slow mature animals, put them at a high risk of extinction.
Although Thresher shark is protected through Ministerial Decree - Permen KP No. 26, 2013 & and listed as Appendix II in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora - protection at the local level do not yet implemented due to socio-economic importance of the species for several local communities in Indonesia
Get involved to thresher shark conservation efforts
Thresher Shark Project Indonesia
Alor Island, East Nusa Tenggara
Indonesia
[email protected]
Thresher Shark Project Indonesia was founded in 2018 and initially supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme for Asia Pacific Region. Our work aiming to protect endangered pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) in Alor Island, Indonesia through investigating the critical habitat, socio-economic importance of the species for the community and conservation outreach to local schools. We combine research and community engagement to inform policy decision for local protection of the species.
