We need your help to save Thresher sharks in Indonesia.

Your donation will have an immediate impact and contribute directly towards ending a targeted Thresher shark fishery in east Indonesia, whilst providing vulnerable fishing communities with a sustainable alternative form of income.

This project model has the potential to be adapted on a global scale as a way of protecting endangered marine life whilst safeguarding poverty-stricken fishing communities.

We plan to have Thresher sharks fully protected in this region by 2022. Help us achieve this.

Indonesia is the world's largest shark fishing nation and an international priority for shark conservation.

For many remote coastal communities, shark fishing is a crucial source of livelihood. Alor Island is located within the East Nusa Tenggara Province in the southern part of the Coral Triangle – this area is amongst the most biodiverse marine environments on our planet, home to more than 30% of all coral and fish species, including many iconic shark and ray species. Alor is also home to a targeted Thresher shark fishery.

Coastal communities in Alor Island have been depending on thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus) as an important source of livelihood for decades. The thresher sharks provide food for the villagers as well as a small source of income. Villagers sell the shark meat for less than $1 a kg. This money helps them pay for their children to attend school and put food on the table for their families.

On average, around 300 Thresher sharks are caught here each year. The majority of Thresher sharks caught in Alor are pregnant females, indicating that this area is an extremely important birthing ground for this species.

Thresher sharks are an IUCN listed endangered species. If not controlled, this targeted shark fishery has the potential to wipe out the entire population of Thresher sharks in this region.

These sharks are a keystone species and an incredibly important biodiversity aspect. We cannot let them die out.

HELP US PUT AN END TO THIS SHARK FISHERY.

WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN HAVE THRESHER SHARKS FULLY PROTECTED HERE BY 2022.

We at Thresher Shark Project Indonesia (Registered non-profit AHU-0019780.AH.01.04 ) have been working alongside the shark fishing communities of Alor since early 2018. Our goal is to increase the protection of this incredible species, whilst providing the shark fishing communities with a more sustainable alternative income opportunity.

The fishermen are eager to transition from a targeted Thresher shark fishery into more sustainble fisheries as well as other businesses. This will not only eliminate the fishing pressure on Thresher sharks in the area but will also provide the fishing communities with a more secure long term livelihood opportunity.

We plan to help them achieve this, but we need your support.

By empowering these fishermen from transitioning away from a targeted Thresher shark subsistence fishery into more sustainable income opportunities, we are providing them with a more secure livelihood future whilst protecting the region’s Thresher sharks from overfishing.

100% of funds raised from this crowdfunding campaign will be used to pilot the alternative livelihood program for Alor shark fishers and community members. We will provide them with market access, new facilities, equipment, and essential training that will improve their economic well-being and allow them to participate in a sustainably managed tuna fishery, whilst eliminating their dependency on Thresher shark fishing.

More specifically, we plan to:

Provide fishing facilities, such as small-scale tuna fishing boats, sustainable handline gear, handheld GPS, and iceboxes for two groups of Alor shark fishermen to transition into sustainable tuna fishing. This equipment will be owned by us at Thresher Shark Project, with shark fishermen being allowed to utilize this equipment upon completion of the training program.
Conduct capacity building programs for Alor shark fishermen and community members in sustainable fisheries practices, as well as effective fish handling, preservation, and ethical business and financial management.
Pilot a sustainable fisheries market for these ex-shark fishermen, collaborating with fisheries e-commerce infrastructures and creating a local fisheries governance system for the sustainable management of this community fishery.
Provide resources, support and training for shark fishermen to explore other income opportunities outside of fishing

UPDATE JUNE, 2021:

06/2021: Thanks to your support and donations, we have managed to build some new tuna fishing boats for the shark fisherman. So begins the official livelihood transition program. Through our mentorship, these shark fishermen will use these boats to target sustainable fish species such as yellowfin tuna, instead of Thresher sharks. There is still a long road ahead, but we feel over the moon to have reached this pivotal point in this conservation project.

UPDATE SEPT, 2021:

09/2021: Above is a series of photos of shark fisherman Bapak Haji and Pak Ahmad officially handing over their shark fishing hooks to Thresher Shark Project field coordinator Pak Eki. This action represents both of these shark fishermen committing 100% to stop shark fishing and embrace a new alternative income opportunity. Bapak Haji and Pak Ahmad have decided to start an ice kiosk business and a chicken farm business. We have supported them through this by providing the necessary capital to get their new small business up and running, as well as provided them with essential business management and finance training to ensure long term self-sustaining success of their new alternative incomes. Bapak Haji and Pak Ahmad are two of the 12 thresher shark fishers in our alternative livelihood transition program. We are amazed to see the change of attitude amongst the ex thresher shark fishermen of Alor as we navigate through this livelihood transition process together.

We thank you for your support in our project and your contribution towards ensuring a future for Thresher sharks in Indonesia.

Sincerely,

Team Thresher Shark Project Indonesia

You can keep updated with our work via our website and social media pages

http://threshershark.id

Instagram: http://instagram.com/threshershark.id

Facebook: http://facebook.com/threshershark.id

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US, HELP THEM

Thresher Shark Project Indonesia

Saving Indonesia's Thresher Sharks

Team Members