Page 19 - AHATA

Tuesday 6 June 2023 locAl
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Hammerheads Hang in the Balance: Why These Sharks Deserve a

Helping Hand

(Hammerhead) sharks play apex predators, which
an important role in main- means that they are at the
taining healthy oceans, top of its food web and
which is important for the haveno natural preda-
fisheries and the economy tors. Sharks help keep their
of the Caribbean islands. prey population healthy
Later this year, the Dutch by eating the sick and
and French governments injured,while also affect-
will officially propose that ing their prey’s distribution.
three species of hammer- In healthy oceans, sharks
head sharks are added help to maintain stable fish
to the SPAW Protocol An- stocks and healthy coral
nex II list during the next reefs and seagrass beds,
Conference of the parties which is important for the
for the Cartagena Con- fisheries and the economy

vention (COPS) on Aruba. (tourism) of the islands.
This increased protection (Hammerhead) sharks
will give the Dutch Carib- are vulnerable to human
bean the tools they need threats. Overfishing, pollu-
to further protect these vital tion, and climate change
sharks moving forward. are all factors that can
have a negative impact on Photo: Hammerhead shark. Photo credit: Ben Phillips (all rights reserved)
Hammerhead sharks, Ge- these animals.
nus Sphyrna, are found all committed to the protec- Annex III list of the SPAW The Dutch Caribbean Na-
around the world. Three of Protection tion and sustainable use of Protocol, but this has not ture Alliance (DCNA) sup-
nine world’s species can There are many organi- coastal and marine biodi- resulted in the desired re- ports science communica-
be found in the Carib- zations and individuals versity within the Wider Ca- covery of their populations. tion and outreach in the

bean, including the scal- working to protect ham- ribbean Region. Within this Therefore, the Kingdom of Dutch Caribbean region
loped hammerhead, the merhead sharks and their agreement, species have the Netherlands along with by making nature-related
smooth hammerhead, and habitats in the Caribbean. been divided into three lists the Republic of France plan scientific information more
the great hammerhead. A significant milestone was of varying levels of protec- to submit a proposal during widely available through
These species have a simi- the establishment of pro- tion, named Annex I, II and the next conference of the amongst others the Dutch
lar overall appearance, tected areas such as the III.Annexes I and II include a parties for the Cartagena Caribbean Biodiversity Da-
which makes identifying Yarari Marine Mammal and list of species which require Convention (COPS) to up- tabase, DCNA’s news plat-
these sharks at the species Shark Sanctuary between the highest level of protec- grade these sharks to the form BioNews and the press.
level complicated. This has the BES islands. However, tion. For these species the Annex II list. This will allow This article contains the
resulted in varying success additional efforts are cru- possession, trade or even for these species to receive results from several scien-
for management and con- cial to create more marine disturbance of these spe- additional protection mov- tific studies but the studies
servation actions, allowing protected areas, reduce cies is forbidden. Annex III ing forward, ensuring these themselves are not DCNA
loopholes for unwanted pollution in the ocean, and includes a list of species of sharks are free to roam studies. No rights can be
hammerhead shark mor- promote sustainable fishing which the exploitation is the Caribbean waters and derived from the content.
talities to continue. practices. authorized, but highly regu- contribute to healthy eco- DCNA is not liable for the
The SPAW Protocol is a re- lated. systems for years to come. content and the in(direct)
Importance gional agreement where In 2017, hammerhead impacts resulting from pub-
(Hammerhead) sharks are member counties have sharks were added to the DCNA lishing this article.q

Can I have a …, please?

ORANJESTAD — Want to taste something different
for a change?? How about a different breakfast
from what you are used to at your hotel. Hop in
your car, drive around and anywhere around the
island you will come across a local snack shop.

Here you will find all types of snacks loved by the lo-
cals. Try a pastechi, a Caribbean pastry filled with
cheese or meat and fried up deliciously. Or per-
haps you might want to try a croquette, a crusty
little meat ball. A dedito is also a good option, it’s
a stick made out of cheese or hotdog. If you want
to try something more familiar go for a home-
made hamburger or a ham and cheese toast, but
with a local touch. All these snacks are ridiculously
addictive. Freshen up with a delicious fruit shake
(batido) made out of watermelon, strawberry, ba-
nana, papaya or just mix any fruit together. What
makes these little snack shops more attractive is
the warmth of its people and with the smile you
are being served.q