The ‘Right Place’ for Sharks in the South Pacific: Marine Spatial Planning in a More-Than-Human Ocean

ABSTRACT

This article questions the contours of marine spatial planning and its application to non-humans while also paying attention to the role of the latter in structuring marine spaces and activities. Through two case studies focusing on sharks-oriented ecotourism in Fiji and sharks risk management in New Caledonia, we discuss how the ‘right place’ of sharks and humans at sea is negotiated, defined and enforced. Comparing the practices deployed to control sharks and humans’ behaviours and whereabouts, we argue that sharks are increasingly incorporated into marine spatial planning although with distinct patterns of sharks–humans relations.

KEYWORDS:

• Marine spatial planning
• sharks management
• Fiji
• New Caledonia
• humans–animals relations

Acknowledgements

We thank our interviewees for their testimonies, our SOCPacific colleagues for reviewing this article and Hortense Lecercle for her pictures.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Fiji [online] MACBIO – Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries. Available at http://macbio-pacific.info/fiji/ (accessed 23 October 2020); Fijian Government statement available at https://www.fiji.gov.fj/Media-Centre/Speeches/English/PM-BAINIMARAMA-S-REMARKS-AT-100-OCEAN-MANAGEMENT-B (accessed 30/08/2021).

2. See also Shabtay et al. (2020)’s proposal to integrate shark risk into MSP in Reunion Islands.

3. Although mostly terrestrial, environmental humanities research ventured into the marine realm (e.g. Helmreich, 2009; Bear & Eden, 2010; Gibbs & Warren, 2014).

4. Foucault’s concept of biopower analyses the governing of human bodies, populations and life. Biopower is ‘a power that exerts a positive influence on life, that endeavours to administer, optimize, and multiply it, subjecting it to precise controls and comprehensive regulations’ (Foucault, 1990, p. 137).

5. Interview with an Aqua-Trek representative, Fiji, 1 July 2019.

6. The Fijian state officially recognizes indigenous customary marine tenure over inshore areas where indigenous Fijians can establish ‘taboo area’ to manage their resources. Some are no-take and might be called MPAs. See (Sloan & Chand, 2016).

7. Beqa Adventure Divers. Available at www.fijisharkdive.com (accessed 16 October 2020).

8. Beqa Adventure Divers. Available at http://fijisharkdiving.blogspot.com/2008/12/quo-vadis-shark-diving.html, (accessed 16 October 2020).

9. Interview with an experienced shark-diver, Beqa, 15 June 2019.

10. Interviews with divers in Fiji and New Caledonia, 2019.

11. Beqa Adventure Divers. Available at www.fijisharkdive.com (accessed 16 October 2020).

12. Aires Protégées de la Province Sud. Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/element-thematique/aires-protegees (accessed 7 October 2020).

13. Interview by France TV info on 22 January 2018. https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/temoignage-attaque-requin-surprenante-nouville-551617.html (accessed 30 September 2020).

14. Interview of a South Province representative for La 1ère France TV broadcast news. Available at https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/deferlante-reactions-apres-abattage-requins-bouledogues-720264.html (accessed 25 October 2020).

15. Interviews of several representatives of the South Province made by its official TV channel. Available at https://webtv.province-sud.nc/videos/ce-qui-fait-actu/b139e104214a08ae3f2ebcce149cdf6e (accessed 8 October 2020); https://webtv.province-sud.nc/videos/ce-qui-fait-actu/fface8385abbf94b4593a0ed53a0c70f (accessed 8 October 2020); https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/deferlante-reactions-apres-abattage-requins-bouledogues-720264.html (accessed 25 October 2020).

16. Official statement by the South Province. Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/infos-presse/31012018-communique-presse-prevention-risque-requin-dans-grande-rade-Nouméa (accessed 16 October 2020).

17. Official press statement by the South Province (2018). Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/infos-presse/16112018-etude-presence-mouvements-grands-requins-dans-zones-cotieres-noumea-bourail (accessed 14 October 2020)

18. Official statement from the South Province (2018). Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/sites/default/files/1829511/IP%20Etude%20requins.pdf, (accessed 16 October 2020).

19. At the time we write this article, the net has not been installed but is still discussed.

20. Sea Shepherd press statement (2019, 13 June), 13/06/2019. Available at https://www.seashepherd.nc/post/mise-%C3%A0-mort-de-requins-en-nc (accessed 13 August 2021).

21. Interview of the president of the South Province, (12 June 2019). Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/video-webtv/programme-lutte-contre-risque-requins-sonia-backes (accessed 13 October 2020).

22. Province Sud, (2020). Rapport de présentation n°9281-2020/2-ACTS/DDDT du 12/03/2020. Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/reglementation/document/8a818691719f8a60017224f370880494 ‘(accessed 16 October 2020).

23. Interview of a representative of the South Province for La 1ère France TV Info (12 June 2019). Available at https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/deferlante-reactions-apres-abattage-requins-bouledogues-720264.html (accessed 24 October 2020).

24. A petition was launched against shark removal: ‘We are on their territory, let’s protect them!’ (2019) Available at https://www.change.org/p/la-province-sud-et-la-mairie-de-noum%C3%A9a-contre-l-abattage-des-requins-en-nouvelle-cal%C3%A9donie (accessed 16 October 2020).

25. Sea Shepherd New Caledonia Facebook post (17 May 2019). Available at https://fb.watch/7rsC0hB5Cm/ (accessed 17/05/2020).

26. Interview conducted in Nouméa, 28/08/2019. Translated from French.

27. Official press statement by the South Province (13 June 2019). Available at https://www.province-sud.nc/sites/default/files/1830077/DP%20requin%2013-09-19.pdf (accessed 18 October 2020).

28. New Caledonia Shark Prevention’s Facebook post (25 February 2020). Available at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2897740643605696&id=633503850029398 (accessed 25 February 2020).

Additional information

Funding

This research was led within the SOCPacific research project (2018–2022, https://socpacific.net/) co-funded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche [grant number ANR-17-FRAL-0001-01] and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [grant number 389654580]. This work contributes to Future Earth Coasts, a Global Research Project of Future Earth.