July 10, 2024

Introducing The Endangered Thresher Shark in The Banda Islands

Alor – Thresher Shark Indonesia (TSI), in collaboration with Moluccas Coastal Care (MCC), successfully conducted an outreach program about thresher sharks in 42 schools across the Banda Islands in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province. Schools involved were located on several islands within the Banda archipelago, such as Run, Ai, Syahrir, Hatta, Banda Besar, and Neira.

The outreach activities, which began in May 2023, engaged a total of 1,576 students from elementary to high school levels. Through these sessions, students learned about the characteristics of thresher sharks and the actions needed to help protect them.

TSI Enumerator Samsul Basrun explained that, in general, the students had never seen a thresher shark, and some even questioned their presence in the Banda Sea. Samsul also mentioned that the existence of the Fisheries Conservation Area (KKP) in the Banda waters could raise students’ awareness about shark conservation.

“The students are aware that thresher sharks are protected, as the Banda Sea itself is part of a conservation area, and they assume that all species of sharks are protected,” said Samsul Basrun.

In addition to schools, the outreach program has also been carried out in coastal communities of the Banda Islands since May 2024. The program successfully reached 10 villages, involving 260 people, most of whom are fishermen.

Socialization of thresher sharks in Lautang village, Banda Besar sub-district, Maluku, May 2024.

Socialization of thresher sharks in Lautang village
Socialization of thresher sharks in Lautang village, Banda Besar sub-district, Maluku, May 2024.

From these outreach efforts, it was found that the coastal communities of the Banda Islands have generally seen thresher sharks. However, they were mostly unaware that thresher sharks are endangered and require protection.

Fishermen stated that thresher sharks are not a target catch, but they are sometimes caught unintentionally as bycatch, which occasionally damages their fishing nets.

The fishermen also mentioned that the value of thresher sharks is not worth much, fetching only Rp 10,000 per kilogram, and that there is currently no market demand for shark fins.

Thresher sharks, listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, have been the focus of Thresher Shark Indonesia’s conservation efforts since 2018, especially in terms of research and protection in Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

According to research using satellite tags, the migratory range of thresher sharks includes several other waters in Indonesia, including the Banda Sea. Based on this, Thresher Shark Indonesia has been conducting studies and working with local communities to promote the conservation of thresher sharks in the Banda Sea. Thresher Shark Indonesia hopes that through these outreach efforts, awareness among the KKP management authorities of Run and Ai Islands, as well as the local community, will increase, leading to the preservation of thresher sharks.