Plenty more fish in the sea? Sadly, not for much longer…
Azzedine Downes, The National 23 Oct 08;
For millennia, one of the most urgent questions confronting mankind was how to protect ourselves from wild animals. Today, that question is reversed: how will we protect our planet’s remaining wildlife from human threats?
The Arabian Gulf merits special attention as home to one of the world’s unique marine habitats. Five of the seven marine turtle species, all of which are endangered, can be found here among the Gulf’s rich reef ecosystem. The second largest population of critically endangered dugongs calls the Arabian Gulf home, thanks to its bounty of coastal sea grasses. Other marine mammals, including whales and dolphins, have been seen in these waters.
The Gulf is under relentless pressure from a wide range of human activity, including shipping, fishing, pollution and coastal habitat destruction. The immense scale and frenetic pace of industrial and commercial development along the Gulf coast is unparalleled. According to the Ministry of Environment and Water, land reclamation is one of the greatest threats. The Gulf’s shallow water and long flushing time also make it particularly vulnerable to pollution, whether from land-based industry such as petrochemicals, or from shipping effluent, a consequence of some of the heaviest shipping traffic in the world.
To be sure, much is being done in Abu Dhabi to protect, for example, the dugong. And with some success: there has been a sharp fall in recorded deaths of these most remarkable of creatures. But elsewhere, the problems multiply. Increasing salinity and higher water temperatures have been found in the Northern Gulf, posing serious threats to marine life there. And according to the United Nations Environment Programme, fishing stocks in the West Asia region are half what they once were.
At first glance, the story of a juvenile female whale shark being held at the Palm Atlantis resort appears to be about the fate of a single animal. Upon closer inspection, it offers us a snapshot of a much bigger problem – the losing battle that wildlife faces at the hands of humans.
As a concerned resident of Dubai, and as a director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), I welcome assurances from our Minister for the Environment, Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, that the whale shark will shortly be released.
Experts from IFAW and other leading conservationists worldwide have been quick to point out that a tank, no matter how large, is no place for the largest fish in the sea. Whale sharks can live up to 100 years and grow to 15 metres – three times the size of the Atlantis captive. These gentle, highly migratory plankton feeders are accustomed to travelling vast distances to feed, and regularly dive to 1,000 metres or more. It is doubtful that an enclosed tank of any size is large enough to allow such a fish to express its normal behaviour, no matter how lifelike the artificial habitat may be.
As Professor Jennifer Schmidt of the University of Illinois, a leading scientist with the Shark Research Institute, points out: “The longer this animal is kept in captivity the smaller the chance that it will be able to be successfully released.”
According to Professor Schmidt and other experts, we have little idea how many whale sharks actually live off the coast of Dubai, far less worldwide. But studies have shown that this magnificent species is declining in number, and there has been a population shift from older, breeding-age animals to younger, immature animals. This bodes ill for the species as a whole, since whale sharks do not breed until they are 25-30 years old.
It is important for the health of the species that all animals remain in their natural habitat, where they can contribute to the future whale shark population.
Sixteen hundred kilometres away, far less affluent Indian fishing communities have prioritised whale shark conservation over profit. In the coastal fishing communities of Gujarat, IFAW’s partner, Wildlife Trust of India, has documented 62 voluntary releases of whale sharks that had been caught up in fishing nets. The whale shark has been adopted as a symbol of these communities’ commitment to preserving the biodiversity of the seas.
Off the western coast of Australia, amateur divers are helping marine scientists to learn more about whale sharks while experiencing these creatures in their natural habitat. Each whale shark’s skin has a unique pattern. Dr Brad Norman and his colleagues at Ecocean are using photos and videos provided by diving enthusiasts to assemble by far the largest database to track the movements of the region’s whale shark population. With sound management guidelines to protect both sharks and humans, this creative linkage of ecotourism with marine science is a model with potential for other whale shark populations.
The Palm Atlantis is already a world-class resort destination. Its owners, executive officers and clients now have a unique opportunity to emerge as world-class conservationists. IFAW and our more than one million supporters worldwide encourage the Atlantis to release the whale shark immediately. Failure to act will pose grave risks to the welfare of this mysterious creature. Once she is returned to the waters off Dubai, our organisation and other responsible experts worldwide stand ready to work with Palm Atlantis to contribute to public understanding of the biggest fish in the sea.
Azzedine T Downes is vice-president for international operations and Middle East and North Africa director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org)
