Artisanal shark fishing in the Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea: Socio-economic characteristics and management options

Small-scale shark fisheries in Papua New Guinea have developed rapidly and are largely unmanaged. While shark species are vulnerable to overexploitation, local fishers who depend on shark fin for income also have limited alternative income options. This implies a difficult trade-off for policy makers between conservation and community welfare. A case study of shark fishing activities in the Louisiade Archipelago of the Milne Bay Province, a major small-scale shark fin producing region, is presented to inform such trade-offs. The region has experienced a significant reduction in available income opportunities due to the recent closure of the local sea cucumber fishery in 2009. While it had been widely assumed that shark fin production and income was likely to have escalated in the region to replace lost sea cucumber income, our model of small-scale shark fin production shows that quarterly dried fin production was in fact, on average, 68 kg higher while the sea cucumber fishery operated (holding all else constant). Furthermore, annual shark fin income is estimated to have fallen by 75% following the sea cucumber fishery closure. Falling prices and a decline in market access resulting from the closure of the sea cucumber fishery appear to be the major drivers of the fall in shark fin production. These factors have been accentuated by the geographical isolation of Louisiade communities, high fuel costs and the low economic returns associated with the sale of shark fin (relative to sea cucumber). The influence of market access on shark fin production is also reflected in the modelled increase in shark fin production (119 kg per quarter on average) that occurred with the introduction of a transport boat in the region. Market access is likely to further improve, particularly if the sea cucumber fishery is reopened and/or shark fin prices increase. Therefore, low-cost, community-based management of shark resources based on the allocation of allowable shark catches to ward communities is recommended. Such an approach takes advantage of the communal characteristics of the local island communities as well as the fishery data collection and monitoring mechanisms that are already being used by the local government.