Assessing the importance of Diego Garcia for sharks
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Darwin Plus Local
VALUE £49,974
WHERE British Indian Ocean Territory
Summary
Since creation, BIOT MPA has suffered from persistent illegal fishing contributing to substantial declines in sharks including suspected local level extinctions. Presence of military operations and a patrol vessel at Diego Garcia deters illegal activity and anecdotal reports suggests it is used by various species at key life-history stages, but no data exists. We propose the first systematic data collection, utilising Local Ecological Knowledge and stereo baited underwater cameras, to assess the island’s role as a vital refuge for sharks.
