Fishermen

Project description
Small-scale fisheries along Panama’s Caribbean coast have operated for decades, yet data on shark captures remain scarce. This research uses local ecological knowledge and field surveys across 20 coastal landing sites to document the status of shark populations and their interactions with fisheries. So far, interviews with fishers reveal widespread declines in shark abundance, attributed to overfishing, increased gillnet use, habitat degradation, and coastal development. Field verification confirms the presence of at least seven shark species, including the Nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), and Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), most of which are threatened. These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen fishery management and conservation strategies along Panama’s central Caribbean coast.

PRISM project leader: Jorge Manuel Morales-Saldaña

Publications: To follow