Three others injured, DoE reminds
public of species protections

Four sharks have been
found dead in Cayman Islands waters since 27 February, according to
reports investigated and confirmed by the Department of Environment’s
(DoE) shark research team, Shark Conservation Cayman.

The circumstances
involved in the demise of the four marine predators vary in each
case. In one incident from late February on Grand Cayman, a small
silky shark became entangled in an abandoned fishing net. Another
unidentified shark in Cayman Brac was found on 15 March having been
cut by a sharp instrument. Two sharks were found dead in Cayman Brac
waters in April – both were lemon sharks. One suffered severe head
trauma while another apparently died after being fished from the
water and then kicked back into it from the dock.  

Two nurse sharks were
injured on Grand Cayman during the same period; one was trapped in a
fish pot and the other suffered a cut to its side. A blacktip shark
that the DoE was tracking in Little Cayman using an acoustic monitor
was also injured and its fate remains uncertain at present.

“That blacktip shark
was the first shark I tagged when I got to Cayman,” said Shark
Research Officer Johanna Kohler. “Shark Conservation Cayman began
tracking this shark three years ago and we’ve followed its
movements since. We are working hard to better understand our local
shark population and to conserve them, so it is frustrating to see
these crucially important predators being killed for sport or out of
spite.”

Elasmobranchs, the fish
subclass that includes sharks, stingrays and skates, are protected at
all times in the Cayman Islands. Fishing for sharks, selling their
fins or meat, or deliberately harming a shark is punishable under the
National Conservation Law by a substantial fine and forfeiture of the
vessel and equipment used in the offence.

“Healthy sharks in a
marine ecosystem are a positive sign of healthy coral reefs and
robust fish populations,” said DoE Manager John Bothwell. “In
recent years, we’ve noted more sharks in the waters around Cayman.
That is leading to more interactions with fishermen and an increased
number of accidental catch incidents that occur when a shark is
attracted by a another struggling fish caught on a line.”

The DoE urges people who
fish to release accidentally caught sharks by removing the hook or
cutting the line. Sharks do not diminish fish populations nor compete
with fishermen, but keep fish populations in balance by feeding on
weaker, less successful marine specimens and thereby removing them
from the breeding stock.

“There must always be a
balance struck between the needs of fishers today and the need to
conserve marine life for future generations,” said DoE Director
Gina Ebanks-Petrie. “But there’s no reason for people to abuse
and torture sharks or any other animals that play a crucial role in
keeping our underwater ecosystem vibrant and healthy.”

For more information
about Shark Conservation Cayman’s efforts to conserve Cayman’s
shark population and how you can become involved, you may contact DoE
Public Education and Outreach Officer Brent Fuller via phone at
244-5984/922-5514 or on email brent.fuller@gov.ky.
More information can also be found on the DoE website at www.doe.ky.
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Photo 1: DoE Shark Project Officer
Johanna Kohler tags a blacktip shark in Little Cayman during May
2016. This shark is one of those injured in recent months. (Credit -
Tim Austin, DoE)

Photo 2: Cayman’s sharks, like this
tagged Caribbean reef shark that inhabits the waters off East End,
are important apex predators for the local marine environment.
(Credit – Claire Fletcher, DoE)