Sangihe Islands lie in the north of North Sulawesi and the south of the Philippines. The majority of population live along the coast, and their livelihoods and food security rely on marine ecosystems.
We discovered a one-of-a-kind village on Batuwingkung Island, where over 90% of the fishers rely on shark fishing over generations. They are all small-scale fishermen who use a tiny boat (about 9×1 m) and a set of longlines with 45-75 hooks.
To better understand the operations of shark fishermen, merchants, and other stakeholders, we undertook a socioeconomic and environmental evaluation. We are also monitoring the catch at landing sites and assessing the catch trend with the support of local enumerators. We identified the species name, fishing effort, and fishing location, as well as the catch’s weight, length, and gender.
According to the landing statistics, Batuwingkung fishermen target the shark species Carcharhinus spp., also known as “hiu manehe,” which include the silky shark C. falciformis (Appendix II CITES), dusky shark C. obscurus, and copper shark C. brachyurus. These species have a higher meat and fin value than other species. In Indonesia, the government regulates the catching and trafficking of Appendix II CITES species with Permen KP No 20 tahun 2022.
(Article by: Citra S.-Project Leader, small scale fishery in Sangihe Island-save our seas foundation)
