{"id":716,"date":"2026-08-21T02:00:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T02:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/21\/unicorn778-indigenous-fishers-rethink-shark-hunting-protect-species-on-colombias-coast-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T02:00:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T02:00:59","slug":"unicorn778-indigenous-fishers-rethink-shark-hunting-protect-species-on-colombias-coast-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/21\/unicorn778-indigenous-fishers-rethink-shark-hunting-protect-species-on-colombias-coast-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Indigenous fishers rethink shark hunting &#038; protect species on Colombia\u2019s coast Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-326694\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>In the Colombian department of La Guajira, at South America\u2019s northernmost tip, Indigenous Wayuu fishers from the community of Punta Gallinas are working with marine biologists to conserve and document shark populations.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Despite a 2021 law banning targeted shark and ray fishing in Colombia, the meat remains a vital protein source in one of the country\u2019s most remote and food-insecure regions.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Colombian shark conservation initiative Proyecto Puyuii is working with Wayuu fishers to record shark species in the understudied waters of La Guajira, implementing sustainability measures such as larger-mesh nets, safe release techniques and avoiding longlines.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>With sustainable tourism touted as a potential economic alternative to shark fishing, some fishers argue that compensation will need to be offered before they can afford to stop.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>LA GUAJIRA, Colombia \u2014 Feet from the ocean, four sharks and a ray lie dead on the wind-battered sand. Above them stands Wilfrido Arends, 46. The blade of a short knife glints in his hand.<\/p>\n<p>Carefully, he bends down to cut a small fin from the underside of one shark \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/161378\/887542\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">an endangered species known as a <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/161378\/887542\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">b<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/161378\/887542\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">lacknose<\/a> (<em>Carcharhinus acronotus<\/em>). He hands the sample to a woman next to him, who places it delicately in a vial.<\/p>\n<p>A tape measure is passed over the still glistening back of the dead shark. Each measurement is read out and noted down.<\/p>\n<p>Arends, a fisher from Colombia\u2019s Wayuu Indigenous community, is spearheading shark research and conservation in Punta Gallinas, a Wayuu community where shark meat is part of the traditional diet. Home to around 50 families, the community sits at the northernmost tip of South America.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we wipe out our sharks, I think that further down the line we will miss them,\u201d says Arends, who is known locally as \u201cCaracas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Together with researchers from Colombian shark conservation initiative Proyecto Puyuii, Arends and other Wayuu fishers are documenting shark diversity in the largely unstudied waters of La Guajira.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s almost no data on anything,\u201d says Diego Carde\u00f1osa, a marine biologist at Florida International University in the U.S. A member of Proyecto Puyuii, he has been training Wayuu fishers to record the shark species they catch.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326700\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326700 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Wayuu fishers and Puyuii researchers measure the carcass of a caught blacknose shark, an endangered species. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153740\/DSC04690-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wayuu fishers and Puyuii researchers measure the carcass of a caught blacknose shark, an endangered species. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A 2021 law banned shark and ray fishing in Colombia, with <a href=\"https:\/\/es.mongabay.com\/2024\/02\/controversia-colombia-norma-permite-aprovechamiento-de-tiburones-rayas-pesca-incidental\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">a 2024 revision<\/a> subsequently allowing the incidental bycatch of 15 species. Despite the ban, the meat remains an important source of protein for Wayuu communities across this stretch of arid desert coast \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acaps.org\/fileadmin\/Data_Product\/Main_media\/20231027_ACAPS_briefing_note_Colombia_Food_insecurity_in_Alta_Guajira_region.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">one of the most food-insecure regions in the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While commercial poaching is the leading threat to shark populations in Colombia, biologists say that without additional research even traditional subsistence hunting can increase pressure on sharks, possibly affecting their numbers or threatening endangered species \u2014 as happened with overconsumption of turtles.<\/p>\n<p>Proyecto Puyuii aims to promote economic alternatives for fishers, minimize pressure on the local shark population with scientific research and implement sustainable fishing practices.<\/p>\n<p>The consumption of sharks is accepted by the project, as it is a traditional practice and form of subsistence. But directed shark fishing (generally practiced with longlines in the deeper ocean) is not encouraged. A more sustainable model would limit consumption to incidental bycatch, which depending on the species is not illegal, and include safe release techniques of juveniles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the fisher earns more showing it than killing it, there\u2019s the solution,\u201d says Felipe Gonz\u00e1lez, who co-founded the project with Arends over a decade ago. \u201cHow do we make these sharks worth more alive than dead?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018I gave up shark-directed fishing many years ago\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Like many Wayuu boys in the region, Arends began fishing at the age of 9. As a child, he watched his grandparents hunt shark species ranging from hammerheads to tiger sharks (<em>Galeocerdo cuvier<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I got older I took to fishing them too, because it was a custom of the Wayuu,\u201d says Arends, who recalls participating in a once booming trade that saw shark meat and fins exchanged for money, fuel or resources with buyers in neighboring Venezuela.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326704\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326704 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Wilfrido Arends\u2019 22-year-old son, known as \u201cCaraquitas\u201d (\u201cLittle Caracas\u201d) after his father, hauls a fishing net into the boat. Image by Euan  Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153856\/DSC04834-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wilfrido Arends\u2019 22-year-old son, known as \u201cCaraquitas\u201d (\u201cLittle Caracas\u201d) after his father, hauls a fishing net into the boat. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019d sell it and buy fuel to keep fishing,\u201d he remembers. \u201cWe\u2019d buy nets and hooks. That\u2019s how we kept ourselves going.\u201d At this time, fishers in Punta Gallinas would use artisanal longlines specialized for shark fishing, as well as finer-mesh gillnets that result in higher levels of shark bycatch. According to Arends, the trade began to disappear from Punta Gallinas over a decade ago, before vanishing from the community with the 2021 prohibition.<\/p>\n<p>Local fishers told Mongabay that other Wayuu communities do still participate in a market, with buyers from the towns of Riohacha and Uribia paying around 50,000 Colombian pesos (about $15) per kilo for shark fins.<\/p>\n<p>Though the fin trade is absent in Punta Gallinas, shark meat is still commonly consumed in the community, forming the key ingredient in a traditional dish known as salpic\u00f3n. Oil is also extracted from the carcasses and used for cooking, while the liver is used in the production of a traditional cough medicine.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever meat is not consumed by the fisher\u2019s own family is typically sold to locally owned hotels and restaurants. Biologists have not assessed the mercury levels (which could be harmful at high concentrations) of shark meat in Punta Gallinas. Gonz\u00e1lez says it may be low and is currently not a concern of the project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an important protein source,\u201d Arends says, \u201cthe first source we have here to feed ourselves and our children is shark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite the ongoing subsistence use in his community, Arends is determined to promote shark conservation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow I fish mostly with nets \u2014 I\u2019ve stopped using what we call the longline, because that fishing is more directed at sharks,\u201d he says. \u201cI gave up shark-directed fishing many years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326698\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326698 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Fishing boats moored off of the coast of Punta Gallinas, La Guajira. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153656\/DSC04184-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fishing boats moored off of the coast of Punta Gallinas, La Guajira. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since the early 2000s, Arends has worked on community-based mangrove and sea turtle conservation. Locals report that sea turtles, once a common sight, have disappeared from the area due to overconsumption in local Wayuu communities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened with the turtles \u2014 we don\u2019t want the same thing to happen with the sharks,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>He and other Punta Gallinas fishers began to use large-mesh nets to avoid catching juvenile sharks, focusing instead on other fish species by placing nets away from the open sea, where sharks are commonly found.<\/p>\n<p>If he catches a shark incidentally, it will be released if found alive.<\/p>\n<p>Locals report that these measures have been widely adopted in Punta Gallinas. And, according to Arends, around 17 boats out of an estimated 20 in the community no longer practice shark-directed fishing. Numbers aren\u2019t available on how many have also changed to larger-mesh nets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou feel like your programming has been changed \u2014 from hunter to protector,\u201d he says. \u201cYou feel almost the same as what the animals feel.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018A high concentration of shark species\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Though still largely understudied, biologists believe that the waters around Punta Gallinas are likely to contain a wealth of shark diversity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn La Guajira and other parts of the Colombian Caribbean, there appears to be a high concentration of ray and shark species,\u201d says Camilo Garcia, professor of marine biology at the National University of Colombia, who mapped the distribution of sharks and rays across the Colombian Caribbean using research data from as far back as the 1960s.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326702\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326702 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A marine biologist working with Proyecto Puyuii holds a small vial containing a smooth-hound shark embryo, taken from the carcass of its  caught mother. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153812\/DSC04711-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A marine biologist working with Proyecto Puyuii holds a small vial containing a smooth-hound shark embryo, taken from the carcass of its caught mother. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326701\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326701 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"A smooth-hound shark caught by Wayuu fishers pictured on a beach near Punta Gallinas, La Guajira. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153756\/DSC04698-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A smooth-hound shark caught by Wayuu fishers pictured on a beach near Punta Gallinas, La Guajira. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Though his work identified a total of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S2352485516301530\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">90 species<\/a>, he describes the inventory as \u201cincomplete\u201d and believes that further research is needed to establish sustainable catch levels and ensure the sustainability of current and future fishing practices.<\/p>\n<p>In Punta Gallinas, Wayuu fishers have reported the presence of species ranging from tiger and silky sharks to endangered blacknose and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/60202\/3091946\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">critically endangered <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/60202\/3091946\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">s<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/60202\/3091946\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">malleye <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/60202\/3091946\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">h<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/60202\/3091946\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">ammerhead<\/a> (<em>Sphyrna tudes<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Carde\u00f1osa believes that Proyecto Puyuii\u2019s drive to document shark species is a crucial step toward facilitating more informed conservation measures in the future, such as fishing quotas and conservation areas.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the project, Wayuu fishers measure every shark they catch, with dated fin samples passed to Arends for storage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is going to give us a bigger picture of the species composition of the fishery, how much they\u2019re catching and whether it can be sustainable,\u201d Carde\u00f1osa says. \u201cThen we can start to formulate more advanced projects.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018What are we going to live off?\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Amid mounting food and water insecurity across La Guajira\u2019s desert coast, a potential transition away from shark fishing is a challenging proposition for some communities. The Wayuu fishers Mongabay spoke to generally consider the 2021 law unfair on communities that still subsist on shark.<\/p>\n<p>Locals report that a lack of rain in 2025\u2019s wet season resulted in widespread plant and livestock death. Luzmila Arends, sister of Wilfrido, reports losing around 247 of her 300 goats after the failed rainy season left little vegetation to feed them. Goats are another common source of meat in Wayuu communities.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326705\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326705 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Luzmila Arends, 48, sister of Wilfrido, runs a guesthouse in Punta Gallinas. She blames last year\u2019s failed rainy season for the death of the  majority of her goat flock, which was an important source of food and income. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153918\/DSC04887-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luzmila Arends, 48, sister of Wilfrido, runs a guesthouse in Punta Gallinas. She blames last year\u2019s failed rainy season for the death of the majority of her goat flock, which was an important source of food and income. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2020\/08\/13\/colombia-indigenous-kids-risk-malnutrition-death\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">one in three children in the region suffers from chronic malnutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany people live off of shark meat,\u201d says Juan Manuel Uriana, 33, leader of the fishers\u2019 association in Bah\u00eda Hondita, a larger Wayuu community around 7 kilometers (about 4 miles) from Punta Gallinas. \u201cSince there\u2019s no other way for people to live, they do it to survive \u2026 they know it\u2019s a crime now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Uriana, many of the 120 fishers in Bah\u00eda Hondita use hooks and longlines to catch sharks and rays, a trade they still rely on for survival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to compensate people. Then they would stop fishing shark,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat are we going to live off?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Proyecto Puyuii members hope that sustainable tourism can provide alternative opportunities. The project is currently affiliated with a Wayuu-run hotel and kite surfing school in the area, a short drive from the famous Taroa sand dunes \u2014 a renowned beauty spot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea is that the money stays in the community,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez says, \u201cthat the tourist arrives, sleeps in their guesthouse, eats what they prepare, uses their boats and their guides.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For some in Punta Gallinas, this has already become a reality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m earning more now,\u201d says Alexi L\u00f3pez, 56, uncle of Wilfrido Arends. Once one of Punta Gallinas\u2019 most prolific shark fishers, he now makes most of his living driving cars and boats for tourists. \u201cIt\u2019s easier [than fishing] because I go out, am done in two hours and am back home again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Luzmila Arends runs a local guesthouse, which offers visitors the chance to accompany fishers on boat outings.<\/p>\n<p>She hopes that economically viable alternatives will help the community to shift away from a historical dependence on shark meat. \u201cIt\u2019s all culture,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s not that we talk today and tomorrow it\u2019s done, but that people go forwards with that vision for the future. It won\u2019t happen overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326703\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326703 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Amid the mangroves, Wayuu fishers unload the day\u2019s catch onto the beach. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153835\/DSC04739-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amid the mangroves, Wayuu fishers unload the day\u2019s catch onto the beach. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018Better we release them\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Even amongst those who live off shark fishing, there is evidence of a growing willingness to protect what remains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this project works out, we can participate in conservation, we can work with this,\u201d Uriana says. \u201cThe people are open to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In May 2026, fishers in Bah\u00eda Hondita caught a large female tiger shark. On opening the animal, they found that it was pregnant. \u201cOne of the boys was going to gather [the pups] to take them away,\u201d Uriana says. \u201cI said: no, why are you going to take them? Better we release them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to marine biologists, the protection of young sharks is of particular importance for a sustainable fishery. \u201cMore dangerous is fishing juveniles,\u201d Garcia says. \u201cIf you catch them, especially before they\u2019ve reproduced, you\u2019re destroying the population directly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Using safe release techniques learned from Proyecto Puyuii, Uriana released 43 living tiger shark pups into the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>He speaks from behind dark glasses and the low brim of a cap. \u201cWe started releasing them with the children,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326706\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-326706 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Juan Manuel Uriana, 33, leader of the fisher\u2019s association in the Wayuu community of Bah\u00eda Hondita, pictured there. Image by Euan Wallace.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-1536x1229.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-2048x1638.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-1200x960.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/19153940\/DSC04906-610x488.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Manuel Uriana, 33, leader of the fisher\u2019s association in the Wayuu community of Bah\u00eda Hondita, pictured there. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A group of young boys, aged between 8 and 12, watches on as he talks. Uriana gestures to them. \u201cThey already know how to fish,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Back on his fishing boat, Wilfrido Arends scans the horizon, one hand guiding the onboard motor at the rear. A ragged black flag, marking the position of his net, appears from behind the crest of a wave.<\/p>\n<p>Without a word, his 22-year-old son moves to haul it into the boat. He is nicknamed \u201cCaraquitas\u201d (\u201cLittle Caracas\u201d) after his father.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything we\u2019ve tried to do is to leave something for our children,\u201d says Arends, whose granddaughter and one of his sons want to become marine biologists. Arends, himself, dreams of one day establishing a shark research center in Punta Gallinas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur ancestors have left this to us,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to leave something better for those who come next.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image: <\/strong>Wilfrido Arends, 46, an Indigenous Wayuu fisher known locally as \u201cCaracas,\u201d scans the horizon as he steers the onboard motor of his small fishing boat. Image by Euan Wallace.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"8X3bOIU1jK\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/03\/son-of-cali-cartel-leader-tied-to-colombia-hong-kong-shark-fin-trafficking\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Son of Cali Cartel leader tied to Colombia-Hong Kong shark fin trafficking<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cSon of Cali Cartel leader tied to Colombia-Hong Kong shark fin trafficking\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/03\/son-of-cali-cartel-leader-tied-to-colombia-hong-kong-shark-fin-trafficking\/embed\/#?secret=0Ci2kWpj7M#?secret=8X3bOIU1jK\" data-secret=\"8X3bOIU1jK\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"bUmTMn8VzC\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/04\/colombia-scientists-explore-remote-seamounts-to-protect-hammerhead-sharks\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Colombia: Scientists explore remote seamounts to protect hammerhead sharks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cColombia: Scientists explore remote seamounts to protect hammerhead sharks\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/04\/colombia-scientists-explore-remote-seamounts-to-protect-hammerhead-sharks\/embed\/#?secret=CGWtUBAY5E#?secret=bUmTMn8VzC\" data-secret=\"bUmTMn8VzC\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Citation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Garc\u00eda, C. B. (2017). What do we know about soft-bottom elasmobranch species richness in the Colombian Caribbean and of its spatial distribution?. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 9, 62-68. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rsma.2016.11.006\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1016\/j.rsma.2016.11.006<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>FEEDBACK: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSfZAR8uRBoWCipFG-c7GYD0AWdn-qKvk8Z0DwpgU3bhi6Zifg\/viewform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Use this form<\/a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Euan Wallace (2026). Indigenous fishers rethink shark hunting &amp; protect species on Colombia\u2019s coast. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-326694\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-326694<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9531f703a49264638b21e9cee471685031b1a88a2bad9fbe9fb1cc3a216071d4?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9531f703a49264638b21e9cee471685031b1a88a2bad9fbe9fb1cc3a216071d4?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; In the Colombian department of La Guajira, at South America\u2019s northernmost tip, Indigenous Wayuu&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,868,1521,526,1359,86,14,9,394,1992,11,1993,13,182,10,2],"class_list":["post-716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-coast","tag-colombias","tag-fishers","tag-hunting","tag-indigenous","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-protect","tag-rethink","tag-saat","tag-shark","tag-slot","tag-species","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}