Community led conservation and management of endangered scalloped hammerhead nursery areas

The hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) is one of the most threatened shark species globally. Characterizing and delimiting their birth and breeding areas is essential for their conservation. On the Pacific coast of Guatemala where we have monitored landings of neonate and juvenile since 2017 to date, we have seen that more than 95% of the individuals landed (>6,500) presented sizes between newborns and juveniles.

This project will build capacities in fishers to monitor scalloped hammerheads while generating key information to develop management strategies in the Pacific of Guatemala. The organization will install data collection capacities in key stakeholders to tag and monitor scalloped hammerheads. Neonate and juvenile sharks will be tagged to assess their population, seasonality and nursery limits. As a result, information generated will enable national compliance of the National Plan of Action and support the final declaration of a replenishment zone in the community of las Lisas.