Managing bite risk for divers in the context of shark feeding ecotourism: A case study from French Polynesia (Eastern Pacific)

International audienceShark-based ecotourism has been recently expanding around the world. Provisioning sharks, however, is notwithout risk and accidental bites on humans are regularly reported. Such events may jeopardise the sharkecotourism industry and local economies. Through a case study from French Polynesia, I investigated whetherchanges in feeding practices of lemon sharks between the early 1990s and 2013 are related to recent accidentalbites of divers. Hand-feeding, ‘smelling’ and surface feeding facilitated the development of agonistic behaviourin sharks, which resulted in accidental bites. The level of interaction between sharks and humans appears to bethe most important driver for analysing bite-risk. This paper presents the very first framework for risk-analysisand will allow managers to better manage the risk associated with current practices in shark-feeding around theworld. The paper also provides technical guidelines for the design of adequate legal frameworks that will supportany sustainable shark feeding operation

Selective removal of problem individuals as an environmentally responsible approach for managing shark bites on humans

Selective removal of problem individuals following shark bite incidents would be consistent with current management practices for terrestrial predators, and would be more effective and more environmentally responsible than current mass-culling programs. In parallel, and in addition to traditional forensics analysis, we recommend the routine collection of shark DNA from wounds or devices following shark bite incidents in order to genetically identify the individual responsible. This approach would require creating an extensive database of shark identities in high-risk areas against which to compare DNA forensically recovered from shark bite incidents. At a local and regional scale, we propose utilizing existing shark tagging programs and artificial shark aggregation sites to collect DNA, behavioural and morphological data for the database, and to facilitate removal of problem individuals. In several places around the world, selective removal of problem individuals would not be significantly more expensive and definitely less environmentally-destructive than traditional approaches and would also help reconcile people and sharks by underlining individuality in shark behaviour.acceptedVersio

Appendices to BEH 3837

Appendix A. Detailed description of a standardized protocol for diver placement and feeding procedures, ensuring consistency in timing and the quantity of food released.Appendix B. Details raw data from 651 dives, with durations varying between 25 min (deeper sites) and 45 min (shallower sites), resulting in a total of 2813 individual observation sessions. For the purpose of assessing personality, we focused on 31 adult bull sharks, each identified by a unique number followed by either an F for female or an M for male.</p

Data from: Genetic population structure and demography of an apex predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier

Population genetics have been increasingly applied to study large sharks over the last decade. Whilst large shark species are often difficult to study with direct methods, improved knowledge is needed for both population management and conservation, especially for species vulnerable to anthropogenic and climatic impacts. The tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, is an apex predator known to play important direct and indirect roles in tropical and sub-tropical marine ecosystems. While the global and Indo-West Pacific population genetic structure of this species has recently been investigated, questions remain over population structure and demographic history within the Western Indian (WIO) and within the Western Pacific Oceans (WPO). To address the knowledge gap in tiger shark regional population structures, the genetic diversity of 286 individuals sampled in seven localities was investigated using 27 microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes (CR, COI, cytb). A weak genetic differentiation was observed between the WIO and the WPO, suggesting high genetic connectivity. This result agrees with previous studies, and highlights the importance of the pelagic behaviour of this species to ensure gene flow. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation to couple information from both nuclear and mitochondrial markers, evidence of a recent bottleneck in the Holocene (2,000-3,000 years ago) was found, which is the most probable cause for the low genetic diversity observed. A contemporary effective population size as low as 111 [43,369] was estimated during the bottleneck. Together, these results indicate low genetic diversity that may reflect a vulnerable population sensitive to regional pressures. Conservation measures are thus needed to protect a species that is classified as Near Threatened

Data from: Genetic population structure and demography of an apex predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier

Population genetics have been increasingly applied to study large sharks over the last decade. Whilst large shark species are often difficult to study with direct methods, improved knowledge is needed for both population management and conservation, especially for species vulnerable to anthropogenic and climatic impacts. The tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, is an apex predator known to play important direct and indirect roles in tropical and sub-tropical marine ecosystems. While the global and Indo-West Pacific population genetic structure of this species has recently been investigated, questions remain over population structure and demographic history within the Western Indian (WIO) and within the Western Pacific Oceans (WPO). To address the knowledge gap in tiger shark regional population structures, the genetic diversity of 286 individuals sampled in seven localities was investigated using 27 microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes (CR, COI, cytb). A weak genetic differentiation was observed between the WIO and the WPO, suggesting high genetic connectivity. This result agrees with previous studies, and highlights the importance of the pelagic behaviour of this species to ensure gene flow. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation to couple information from both nuclear and mitochondrial markers, evidence of a recent bottleneck in the Holocene (2,000-3,000 years ago) was found, which is the most probable cause for the low genetic diversity observed. A contemporary effective population size as low as 111 [43,369] was estimated during the bottleneck. Together, these results indicate low genetic diversity that may reflect a vulnerable population sensitive to regional pressures. Conservation measures are thus needed to protect a species that is classified as Near Threatened

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis affecting humans and a wide range of domesticated and wild animal species. An important element for effective disease containment is to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of afflicted communities. This study aimed to assess the KAP related to brucellosis at the human–animal interface in an endemic area of Egypt and to identify the risk factors for human infection. A matched case–control study was conducted at the central fever hospitals located in six governorates in northern Egypt. Face‐to‐face interviews with cases and controls were conducted using a structured questionnaire. In total, 40.7% of the participants owned farm animals in their households. The overall mean practice score regarding animal husbandry, processing and consumption of milk and dairy products were significantly lower among cases compared with controls (−12.7 ± 18.1 vs. 0.68 ± 14.2, respectively; p < .001). Perceived barriers for notification of animal infection/abortion were predominate among cases and positively correlated with participants’ education. The predictors of having brucellosis infection were consumption of unpasteurized milk or raw dairy products and practicing animal husbandry. Applying protective measures against infection significantly reduced its risk. A model predicting risk factors for brucellosis among those who own animal showed that frequent abortions per animal increased the chance for brucellosis infection among human cases by 50‐fold (95% CI: 8.8–276.9), whereas the use of protective measures in animal care reduced the odds (OR = 0.11 [95% CI: 0.03–0.45]). In conclusion, consumption of unprocessed dairy products was equally important as contact with infected/aborted animals as major risk factors for Brucella spp. infection among humans in Egypt. There is poor knowledge, negative attitudes and risky behaviours among villagers which can perpetuate the risk of brucellosis transmission at the human–animal interface. This supports the need for integrating health education into the national brucellosis control programme

Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment

The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from 89 different studies. Hundreds of reports of unusual species observations from around the world suggest that animals quickly responded to the reductions in human presence. However, negative effects of lockdown on conservation also emerged, as confinement resulted in some park officials being unable to perform conservation, restoration and enforcement tasks, resulting in local increases in illegal activities such as hunting. Overall, there is a complex mixture of positive and negative effects of the pandemic lockdown on nature, all of which have the potential to lead to cascading responses which in turn impact wildlife and nature conservation. While the net effect of the lockdown will need to be assessed over years as data becomes available and persistent effects emerge, immediate responses were detected across the world. Thus initial qualitative and quantitative data arising from this serendipitous global quasi-experimental perturbation highlights the dual role that humans play in threatening and protecting species and ecosystems. Pathways to favorably tilt this delicate balance include reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness