Exploring the decline of shark populations in Santiago Island, Cabo Verde: insights from local fishers’ knowledge and perspectives

Cabo Verde is a well-known marine megafauna biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), fishing is one of its most important economic activities and a major source of animal protein. Yet, the interaction and impacts of the artisanal fisheries on shark species are poorly known in this region. To fill this gap, between April and June 2024, we conducted 152 face-to-face interviews with fishers from the 10 main fishing communities on Santiago Island, Cabo Verde. Most respondents (95%) reported the presence of sharks in their fishing grounds all year round (59%) and at certain times of the year (41%). Eighty-five percent indicated that they catch sharks, but the majority (63%) said they do so unintentionally. The catch is made up of at least 18 species of shark, almost all of which are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Most fishers (80%) have noticed a reduction in the number of sharks over the last 15 years, attributing the cause to fishing (96%) mainly by the international fleet and around half (51%) believe that it will continue to reduce over the next 15 years. Nevertheless, 33% of the fishers interviewed declared that they do not support shark conservation. Although fishers are valuable sources of information, the present results also show the need to improve fisher's perceptions of sharks and involve them in decision-making processes and management measures to reduce the impacts of artisanal fishing on endangered species.