Mission Blue’s Expedition to Malpelo Studies Sharks and the Challenges of MPA Enforcement

An expedition team managed by Mission Blue, a global initiative of the Sylvia Earl Alliance and a Baum Foundation supported program, traveled to Malpelo Island Hope Spot off the coast of Colombia in August 2019 to collect data on sharks’ migratory habits and document the unique triumphs and challenges involved in enforcing the local Marine Protected Area (MPA) and protecting the sensitive species that live there, including hammerhead and whale sharks. The trip offered opportunities to gain new insights about a place that has only been well explored within the past 30 years.

The expedition was joined by Sandra Bessudo, marine conservationist and founder of the Malpelo and Other Marine Ecosystems Foundation. Through her tireless work, Malpelo became a Mission Blue Hope Spot in 2016, which she champions. Sandra was one of the first divers to explore the waters around Malpelo, in 1987.

The team studied sharks by collecting tissue and DNA samples, as well as applied acoustic and satellite tags to sharks. “Besides tracking sharks through satellite tags, we want to understand if the populations are connected. DNA samples allow us to determine if the populations of sharks at Malpelo for example, share the same genetic pool as the sharks at Galapagos or Cocos.”

Unfortunately, due to Malpelo’s remote location (it is a 36-hour boat trip from Colombia), difficult conditions and general lack of resources, enforcing the MPA can be challenging. Marine Conservation Institute’s MPAtlas shows that 13% of Colombia’s marine jurisdiction is designated to be protected, but only 4% is in highly protected marine protected areas, where fishing is either highly restricted or forbidden. Despite the protections granted by the Colombian government, not all marine life at Malpelo Island are safe. “The biggest threat to the protected area,” Sandra shares, “is illegal fishing. It’s done mostly by vessels from neighboring countries where they come in and enter the protected area [illegally], to capture snappers, groupers, sharks; all this biodiversity.”

“Despite these challenges and poachers’ shady tactics, Malpelo’s MPA is still proving to be effective, as studies show fish populations increasing. We will continue to support driven leaders like Sandra to match poachers’ greed with determination and zeal and give hope for the future of Mapelo’s wildlife”, said Glenn Bucksbaum, President of The Baum Foundation.

For more information, see Mission Blue’s video of the expedition below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOY8K63iLc0

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