Counting Fiji's sharks, rays and turtles
Vote for us in Ocean Action Project 2013
Help us get the financial support we need to run the next Great Fiji Shark Count!
Voting is on for the Ocean Action Project 2013 and we need your vote for The Great Fiji Shark Count! Projects will be chosen by the Project AWARE community through a voting system via Facebook.
Now we need our supporters and community cast their vote for The Great Fiji Shark Count this November.
In the month of April, 3,693 divers recorded their shark sightings during 855 dives.
The average diver had done 458 dives in Fiji (many were local divemasters), indicating that their observations were very reliable.
During those dives, 12,073 shark sightings, of 11 species, were recorded, plus 5 species of ray, and 2 species of turtles.More info here…
Getting up close and personal with underwater wildlife is one of the draws of scuba diving.
Most of the creatures you’ll encounter when you go on a dive are harmless, but there are others that you need to watch out for.
Not surprisingly we’re not talking about sharks. Below are some seemingly innocuous creatures can cause injury or death if you tangle with them. Keep an eye out for these creatures as you dive so you can enjoy a safe scuba experience.
AS shark lovers prepare for the resumption of The Great Fiji Shark Count, tourism operators are gearing to host advocates who’ll fly in from around the world to take part in it next month.
And there’s a lot of anticipation and expectation this time after only 70 per cent of Fiji’s dive operators took part in the first count in April.
Count official Nani Ledua said the floods that ravaged the Nadi coast then affected their data collection.
Ilaitia Turagabeci (Wednesday, April 04, 2012)
THE seas around our 300-plus islands are abuzz with anticipation for the Great Fiji Shark Count.
From tourism operators, adventurers, marine researchers, coastal fishermen, deep sea anglers, anyone with a love for the blue and the wonders living in it, it’s a time to check who is alive down there, and how many.
The great invite across the isles and abroad is a scientific research which aims to put a population figure to the different species of sharks, rays and turtles in our waters.
The Great Fiji Shark Count an initiative of Fiji tourism operators and organised by Helen Sykes, the co-ordinator of Fiji Coral Reef Monitoring Network will be held throughout this month and November.More info here…
The shirts are Gildan and the color we’ve chosen is navy blue on sport grey.
For GFSC participants only!More info here…
Logbook, posters, guide books and boards all here.
Sending out tomorrow, all participants should have their packs early next week.More info here…
The Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest was originally created in 2009 by Canadian shark conservation group Shark Truth.More info here…
AS some rushed around in the frolic of fun and others in the frantic of safety during the flash floods that hit a fortnight ago, there was a silent fight for survival in the muddy, murky waters of Nadi.
Under the brown rush that tore through the banks of the Nadi River flooding the jet-set town and nearby suburbs and sending thousands for the safety of high and dry ground ù came the little sharks.
They, like some of those unfortunate to have been caught and swept away at the height of the flood in Nadi after a torrent of 292mm of rainwater (24 hours from 9am January 24th to 9am January 25th), desperately fought the raging flood currents that have slowly eroded the riverbanks over the years.
So when one fought its way through the force of nature to the calmer floodwaters in the suburbs, and was found dead when it couldn’t get food in its new concrete and grassy environment, there was a lot of excitement and pain.More info here…
SHARK conservation around the country is gaining momentum with students adopting the once feared predator as their “friend”.
Sharkman Manoa Rasigatale, the veteran campaigner who has been visiting schools and villages in the three confederacies since April last year, said more people were becoming aware of the importance of sharks to our reef system and supported efforts to turn Fiji’s waters into a shark sanctuary.
“The children are the best listeners. They are our future and now understand better the value of sharks alive than dead,” he said.
“Everywhere I go, children of all ages share one thing ù that even though they may have feared them, they now regard sharks with more respect and friendship.
“That has been one of my greatest satisfaction, to plant the seed of conservation and help shape the thoughts of children to protect one of our greatest resources.
“Their response has been tremendous. They really want to participate in the conservation themselves.”More info here…
Calling all eco-conscious couples – how would you like a honeymoon in a certified eco-resort in stunning Fiji?
Courtesy of our fabulous grand prize sponsors, Air Pacific and Matava, we are thrilled to offer a grand prize which includes
Winners must pay taxes and surcharges for flights. Availability for the grand prize flights and accommodation package will be subject to blackout dates to be confirmed in the winner’s Grand Diamond Prize confirmation letter.
Calling all sophisticated bridal couples! By making your wedding shark-free, you can show respect to both your guests and our oceans as well as earning the opportunity to win a fabulous prize! Enter the Happy Hearts Love Sharks – Hong Kong wedding contest now.…More info here…
Bula Friends and Colleagues !!
Representing the Coral Reef Alliance and the Pew Environment Foundation, Helen Sykes has kindly offered to talk this week about shark conservation in Fiji. Lecture participants will have the opportunity to watch the 30 min documentary film “Shark Hope”, which has just recently been launched in Fiji.
After the film there will be a chance to ask questions on the subject and pick up some Shark Sanctuary campaign materials.Helen will also share information about the Great Fiji Shark Count, a tourism-based initiative planned for April 2012 by a group of volunteer organizations.More info here…
By Cara Hodgson
Sharks are one of the increasingly rare organisms seen on coral reefs. They have been eliminated from many reefs due to demand for their fins to make shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. In 2011, there were some big “wins” for sharks with shark finning and trading banned in several areas. Because shark sightings are now so rare just about everywhere, Reef Checkers are asked to record any sharks during their dives – even of those observed off of the transects.
One type of shark has always held a fascination as a kind of prehistoric-looking oddity that one might think was dreamed up by a Hollywood horror filmmaker – not a result of millions of years of evolution. This is the hammerhead shark. A related shark is the bonnethead – with a head shaped more like a shovel.
Looking at the wide separation between the hammerhead’s eyes, and the flat surface of the head, one wonders about the evolutionary advantage of this design?
Several hypotheses explaining the evolution of the hammerhead shark’s head – called a “cephalofoil” – have been proposed.More info here…
“The good news is, we know from experience, when we do the work, the ocean and its wildlife can be restored”
Roger McManus, IUCN and Project AWARE board member
Overfishing. Finning. Endangered. These are all words that we should not have to associate with global shark species.
Throughout the months of April and November every year, you have the opportunity to help celebrate and record Fiji’s amazing coral reef biodiversity, show you care about our world’s delicate coral reef systems, and have fun, by taking part in the FIJI-WIDE SHARK COUNT!
Easy to do, this is suitable for visitors and locals alike, whether you like to fish, snorkel, or SCUBA dive. We hope that tourists, school children, scientists and all people with an interest in the marine environment will take to the reefs with us to search for the Sharks of Fiji!
The Great Fiji Shark Count will be held across Fiji every April and November every year.
You can do a single count, or take part as many times as you like during that month, so that you cover different reefs. All data will be gratefully accepted!
So, see your resort, watersports operator or travel agent, get your Shark identification materials and dive into the beautiful blue waters of Fiji, to be a part of history!
