Social dimensions of shark–human interactions in a large remote marine protected area

Abstract

The impact of shifting marine conservation policy, including marine protected area (MPA) designation, in shaping interactions between humans and imperilled species, such as sharks, remains understudied, despite its importance in determining the success of these interventions. We investigated perceptions of shark–human interactions (SHI) among the community in a remote, large-scale MPA (Ascension Island) where two recent shark attacks and perceived general increases in interactions (mostly with Galapagos and silky sharks), including depredation in recreational fisheries, have occurred. From 2023 to 2024, informal semistructured interviews (n = 34) were conducted with island residents and analysed using two theory-driven thematic frameworks to understand the level and drivers of conflict. We showed considerable social impact of SHI, including reduced human well-being and substantial lifestyle changes, with both depredation and human attacks driving dispute-level conflict. Strong social and familial connections on island resulted in narratives around attacks persisting and trauma resulting from attacks drove heightened perceived risk. Underlying conflict was further exacerbated by the perceived recurrent and unpredictable nature of negative SHI compounded with the interactions being perceived as abnormal with limited information on socio-ecological drivers. Some felt excessive chumming by historic recreational fisheries, mostly engaged in by non-residents, had also involuntarily exposed them to heightened risk by increasing SHI. There was also no consensus of what shark species were behind the increased interactions. Management resolutions were perceived as minimal but were not widely viewed as negative. However, divergent views on the use of lethal control and the need for conservation measures, such as banning shark exploitation, were evident. A key theme emerged around the need for wider community participation in the research and management processes. Policy implications. Our results highlight the critical importance of demystifying marine species, particularly in terms of understanding socio-ecological drivers of human–wildlife interactions, to combat escalation into human–wildlife conflict. This is particularly important to maintain support for large-scale MPAs and species-specific conservation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.