Living with the Sharks: A Multi-Methods Study Analyzing Human-Wildlife Conflicts as a Step Towards Coexistence (Réunion)

Abstract

On the island of Réunion, a French overseas department located in the western Indian Ocean, a prefectorial decree taken by the authorities on July 26, 2013 has been reconducted for the past 10 years to forbid swimming and water-based activities, apart from the conditions set out in the injunction. This decision was the outcome of increased shark sightings and incidents causing, in particular, the deaths of 5 ocean users between 2011 and 2013. As a preliminary attempt to address the lack of empirical research on ocean users' social representations and their relationship to non-humans, this paper aims to primarily analyze thoroughly the issues of the acceptance of shark risk mitigation options. Data were gathered through a qualitative study that mobilized several ethnographic tools such as face-to-face semi-structured interviews, participant and non-participant observation as well as social media data survey. Results indicate that the many tensions generated by shark-human interactions (SHIs) on the island of Réunion are related to a lack of public consultation, thus calling the acceptance of the shark management strategy and the scientific recommendations into question. The findings may improve shark-human interactions management as we consider the management of risk as a process to develop a well-balanced way of living with the sharks where residual risk remains. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on the management of human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs) while the results tend to confirm the findings of many other studies showing that they are often rooted in human-human conflicts.