Effects of a COVID‐19 lockdown‐induced pause and resumption of artificial provisioning on blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and pink whiprays (Pateobatis fai) in French Polynesia (East‐Pacific). (30th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Séguigne, Clémentine; Mourier, Johann; Vignaud, Thomas; Buray, Nicolas; Clua, Éric
• Is Part Of: Ethology. Volume 128:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 119
• Page End: 130
• Publication Date: 2021-10-30
• Subjects: anthropause -- conditioned behavior -- feeding -- memory retention -- reconditioning delay; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; 591.5
• DOI: 10.1111/eth.13246
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0179-1613

Abstract

Abstract: The tourism activities linked to artificial provisioning of blacktip reef sharks ( Carcharhinus melanopterus ) and pink whiprays ( Pateobatis fai ) on a specific site in French Polynesia were suddenly and completely stopped due to a COVID‐19 lockdown that lasted 6 weeks from March 20 until April 30, 2020. Using both drone footage and underwater counting, we were able to track the abundance of those two species before, during, and after reopening and thus investigate the impact of provisioning on wild shark populations. The absence of any stimulus during this long period resulted in almost total desertion of the site by the elasmobranchs. However, 1 day prior to reopening, some individuals of both species positively reacted to the single acoustic stimulus of an engine boat, showing the resilience of conditioning, and some elasmobranchs reacted to acoustic and olfactive stimuli linked to the provisioning practice from the first day after reopening. During the first 2 weeks after reopening, the abundance of both species remained at reduced levels comparable to those observed between 2008 and 2010 for sharks; i.e., around 9 animals in the presence of local tourists. Pre‐lockdown abundance levels, reaching approximatively 15 individuals for sharks and 10 for rays, were considered restored 1 and 2 months after reopening for blacktip reef sharks and pink whiprays, respectively. These findings improve our capacity to better understand the potential effects of artificial provisioning tourism on the abundance of elasmobranchs by showing that conditioning is resilient for several weeks, suggesting that intermittent interruption of elasmobranchs feeding would not really help to decrease its impact on animal welfare. Abstract : The COVID19 anthropause caused a near desertion of an artificial provisioning site by blacktip reef sharks ( Carcharhinus melanopterus ) and pink whiprays ( Pateobatis fai ). However, some individuals of these two species were present since the reopening of the tourism activities. The pre‐lockdown abundance was restored after one month for sharks and after two months for rays, showing that conditioning is resilient for several weeks.