‘Project Hiu’, Hiu being the Indonesian word for Shark, is an initiative which aims to provide alternative income to fishermen in one of the largest shark fisheries in Indonesia, and the world. By hiring the shark fishing boats and locals that crew them, we sought to engage the fisherman in a very different role. Tourism. A natural, alternative income that simultaneously and effectively protects sharks.

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This small village and the fishermen we work with represent far more than a simple project, they represent the preservation of a vast ocean that connects us all, and an opportunity to drive a wedge between the hard working, often desperate fishermen and the foreign buyers who profit from them.

 

These men deserve an income free from the threat of prosecution, and the many dangers they face spending weeks away from their families. They deserve a secure future that doesn’t rely on the fishing of these apex predators. In a rapidly changing ocean, our approach must change too. The goal of Project Hiu is to improve conditions above and below the surface, and enforce the idea that one person, and one shark fishermen, can make a difference.