Illegal Trade in Protected Sharks: The Case of Artisanal Whale Shark Meat Fisheries in Java, Indonesia

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Illegal fishing, including that of sharks for meat and fins, is one of the larger threats to marine biodiversity conservation. Getting data on these illegal activities is challenging as there are few reliable official records. I use data from the media, tourists, and artisan fishermen to gain insight into the trade in the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, in Indonesia. Whale sharks are typically caught in fishing nets, dragged alongside boats to the shallows, where they are butchered. The meat and oil are sold. In a popular tourist area, Pangandaran, whale sharks are landed and butchered on the beach in view of hundreds of people and local media; I report on 30 landings (2002–2022). Along the south coast of Java, part of which includes Pangandaran, I document 38 landings (2019–2022). Artisanal fishermen see the landings of whale sharks as fortuitous events, and the monetary gains are frequently shared with the community. However, artisanal fisheries pose a significant threat to whale sharks, and the legal protection that whale sharks receive in Indonesia is not sufficiently enforced. Furthermore, Indonesia is a signatory to various international agreements that preclude the fishing and trade in whale sharks, and greater adherence to these rules and regulations is needed. ABSTRACT: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, including that of sharks, poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems and individual species. I use data from the media, tourists, and artisan fishermen to gain insight into the trade in the world’s largest fish, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus). I focus on the Indonesian island of Java where, along its south coast, whale sharks are landed and butchered on the beach in view of hundreds of people and local media. Whale sharks are typically caught in fishing nets and dragged alongside boats to the shallows, where they are butchered. The meat and oil (valued at ~USD 2000 per shark) are sold and distributed within the community. I document 58 landings of mainly immature whale sharks (2002–2022). Artisanal fishermen see the landing of whale sharks as a fortuitous event, but the species is protected, and Indonesia is a signatory to various international agreements that preclude the fishing of whale sharks. It is imperative for the conservation of whale sharks that the various parties in Indonesia adhere better to their own rules and regulations protecting this species.