Assessing traditional ecological knowledge of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in eastern Indonesia: A pilot study with fishing communities in Nusa Tenggara Timur
Report prepared for the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra by
Natasha Stacey, Johanna Karam, Dan Dwyer, Conrad Speed and Mark Meekan, School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University
About the report
The aim of the pilot project was to investigate the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of whale sharks held by Bajo fishers from settlements in Timor and Roti Islands, located in the Province of Nusa Tenggara Timor (NTT), eastern Indonesia. The project's objectives were to:
- Consider the TEK of whale sharks and other species with similar life histories through a literature review to assist in the identification of areas of knowledge about whale sharks
- Investigate the TEK of whale sharks held by Bajo fishers from selected settlements in NTT, to:
- inform us about whale shark ecology, migration, behaviour, and population numbers in Indonesia
- to determine whether whale sharks are subject to human threats in the locations where they migrate or aggregate, and the nature of those threats
- Make recommendations for a more extensive study in eastern Indonesia, and to make preliminary recommendations to assist in the conservation and management of whale sharks across international borders.