Scientists and fishermen are leading a proposal to establish a shark sanctuary in the Boca Vieja area, in Cataño. This refers to a reef near the fishing village, where scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), an endangered species, breed. To prevent their loss, the group is calling for a halt to shark fishing in the breeding ground.
Their claim is bolstered by a new study, conducted in collaboration with Florida International University, which showed that these hammerhead sharks are a genetically distinct population from those elsewhere in the world.
“They have the potential to be an endemic species of Puerto Rico; that’s why we have to protect them just as we protect the Puerto Rican crested toad or the Puerto Rican parrot,” said Raimundo Espinoza, founder of Conservación ConCiencia and the biologist behind the petition to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA).
Indeed, the DRNA secretary, Waldemar Quiles, visited the fishing village of Cataño last Tuesday to see the proposed area. According to Espinoza, Quiles – who was not available for an interview – expressed support for creating the natural reserve area and promised to sign the declaration within 30 days.
As part of the study, fishermen provided scientists with small fins from captured sharks for DNA analysis. They also identified the reef where females reproduce.
This is how Espinoza and the other collaborators learned that juvenile hammerhead sharks predominated among those captured. In the United States, it is prohibited to catch them, but those laws do not apply on the island.
“We have never observed an adult shark in the area; only juveniles have been caught. That’s a problem because they are removed before they can reproduce,” said, for his part, Rodolfo Abrams, a commercial fisherman from the village.
Espinoza and Abrams have worked together on marine conservation and environmental protection projects since 2017, right after Hurricane Maria. Both propose the creation of the sanctuary, but for different reasons.
For Espinoza, it represents a way to preserve a biologically significant species for the Puerto Rican marine ecosystem. Meanwhile, Abrams believes that protecting the species' breeding ground is a civic duty.
“I told him (the secretary) that if I don’t protect it, if I abuse this area, I’ll be out of a job,” said Abrams, who advocates for the importance of caring for the marine environment to ensure the sustainability of commercial fishing.
Espinoza also mentioned that one of the central concerns was how to protect the sharks without interfering with the livelihood of the fishermen.
“Many biologists like to criticize our initiative because they say it’s not enough and we should ban shark fishing throughout the island. But that’s not based on reality,” he said.
“Because of that mindset,” Abrams added, “fishermen have also avoided collaborating with biologists, because they see them as a threat to their trade, but I believe we are demonstrating that it doesn’t have to be that way.”
The collaboration between Conservación ConCiencia and the fishermen has always been mutually beneficial. Espinoza and Abrams have ensured that fishermen are compensated for their work on the project, as well as those who would be impacted by the sanctuary.
“Our plan already takes into consideration the impact on commercial fishing, and we have taken the necessary steps to mitigate them. Therefore, we believe the DRNA views it as a favorable plan,” Espinoza shared.
Abrams assured that shark fishing is also no longer as commercially important as it once was. “It’s no longer profitable for us. The bigger they are, the more they’re worth. But they’re difficult to haul onto the boat, they scratch our paint, they always break something flapping around. And for what? For them to pay us $1.25 per pound of thigh and get a maximum of $90 or $100? It’s not worth the effort,” he said.
For this reason, the proponents assure that the economic impact of the sanctuary would be minimal and would help protect a species with incredible biological potential.
“We are not going to completely prohibit fishing in that area; they can still cast hooks. But, if they catch sharks, they have to release them,” Espinoza explained. They also propose extending the area where net fishing is prohibited to cover the breeding ground and avoid entangling sharks.
“Other species can also benefit from this initiative. Nearby, there’s a family of manatees that lives near the breeding ground and in Isla de Cabras,” said Abrams.
According to both, establishing the sanctuary would be the first step in the conservation of hammerhead sharks in Puerto Rico.
“It would represent an opportunity to continue studying the species and determine what makes it genetically unique,” Espinoza affirmed.
For Abrams, the motivation is also emotional. “Those sharks are like my children now. I think that after so many years of killing sharks, it’s my turn now to give back what I’ve taken from them,” he emphasized.