Gelson Alex Pina Monteiro
Based on eighty interviews of fishermen conducted in 2018, Brava is assumed to be a shark hotspot that supports various nursery areas. To protect sharks, knowledge of the locations and extent of these areas is critical. We do not know at what time of year these nurseries are used, why sharks favour them, or what abundance and diversity of species is found there. With this project, we intend to characterize these zones, describe the occurrence of the main juvenile shark species, define the best conservation strategies and improve fishers’ perceptions of sharks, hence increasing the survival chances of these animals.
The project will be divided into three parts:
1- Awareness campaigns which will be carried out throughout the project. Awareness consists in organizing activities for sensitization and education among fishermen, school students and the general public with the aim of demystifying the negative view - myths and erroneous beliefs - that our society has about sharks, highlighting their importance in the marine ecosystem. It will also feature interviews to assess the knowledge of local people about sharks, their attitudes towards species and their levels of consumption of shark meat. We will conduct research to assess public knowledge, perceptions and management preferences for sharks and rays.
2- The second part of the project will cover scientific research, that is, fieldwork in the collection of scientific data in potentially nursery places around the island of Brava.
3- The third part consists of the dissemination of our results, both in fishing communities and in schools on the island: we will be able to hold workshops with the authorities responsible for the protection of the environment in order to disseminate our results.