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Science - Fiji Shark Project

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Shark Conservation in Fiji

Located off the southern coast of Fiji.s main island of Viti Levu lays Shark Reef Marine Reserve, a marine park completely dedicated to the protection of sharks. Boasting eight regular resident species of sharks and more than 300 species of fish, this is arguably the best place world wide for experiencing huge bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) up close and personal.
The marine park is run by a local dive operation together with two villages who have relinquished their fishing rights in favor of a direct contribution from the divers, thus constituting an excellent template for long-term sustainable ecotourism. Shark Reef Marine Reserve is a highly successful small-scale and local community-based conservation project in the South Pacific.

Having been established in 2004 by retired Deutsche Bank executive and now full-time conservationist Mike Neumann and a team of highly professional and motivated Fijian nationals, it has since been a highly successful object of cutting-edge scientific research by Swiss zoologist Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler and Bishop Museum Associate John Earle, with funding from the Shark Foundation, the Save our Seas Foundation and PADI Project AWARE.
Shark Reef Marine Reserve Fiji is home to the Bull Shark Tagging Programme. It monitors local- and regional-scale movement patterns of not only bull sharks, but other shark and fish species as well, using state-of-the-art satellite and acoustic telemetry. Following a highly successful study using pop-up satellite archival tags to study the vertical and horizontal movements and habitat use of bull sharks, the current research is focusing on small-scale, local movements using passive acoustic telemetry.
After placing receivers on various surrounding locations, the sharks are being fed small acoustic transmitters that trigger the receivers whenever a tagged shark should swim by. The insights thus gained into day/night movement patterns and presence/absence data from various reefs provide valuable data for planning any subsequent expansion of the protected area. This has already led to the establishment of a 30 mile protected .Shark Corridor. in 2006.

I have been able to document the whole procedure, i.e. the prepping of the bait (mainly tuna heads) and the placing of the receivers by Dr. Brunnschweiler and also the spectacular feeding of the bait to selected sharks by the Fijian shark feeders.

Aerial view Shark Reef Beqa Lagoon

Aerial view Shark Reef, Beqa Lagoon

Taucher kontrolliert Grenzboje am Naturschutzgebiet

Akustische Sender zum Orten der Haie

Zwei Fischkoepfe die mit akustischen Sendern ausgeruestet werden

Fischkoepfe werden mit akustischen Sendern ausgeruestet

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler mit praepariertem Fischkopf

Fischkoepfe mit akustischen Sendern

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler mit praepariertem Fischkopf

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler mit einem senderpraeparierten Fischkopf

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler mit VEMCO VR2 Empfaenger

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler mit einem VEMCO VR2 Empfaenger

Juerg Brunnschweiler mit VEMCO VR2 Unterwasser Empfaenger

Juerg Brunnschweiler mit VEMCO VR2 Empfaenger fuer den Einsatz unterwasser

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler bei der Montage eines VEMCO VR2 Empfaengers

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler bei der Kontrolle eines Empfaenges

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler kontolliert einen VEMCO VR2 Empfaenger

Dr. Juerg Brunnschweiler mit Helfer bei der Montage eines Empfaengers

Bullenhai erwartet den Fischkoeder

Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

© Klaus Jost - wildlife- & nature- & underwater
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