When a passionate shark conservationist partners with one of the top shark hunters in East Lombok, Indonesia to create an ecotourism venture called “Project Hiu,” their lives and that of those in their village are changed forever.
Madison “Shark Girl” Stewart didn’t know what awaited her when she ventured to Indonesia to find a shark fisherman willing to partner with her to build an ecotourism company. But her encounter with one of the most prolific shark hunters in East Lombok, Indonesia would change the course of both their lives and save thousands of sharks in the process. Together they formed “Project Hiu,” named for the local word for shark, to hire fishermen and their vessels to lead boat tours of Lombok’s rich marine life. These ecotours divert resources away from shark fishing on East Lombok’s Maringkik Island.
Seven years later, the positive impact that Project Hiu has had on the community has earned them local collaborators even on shark research, which gives scientists new insights into these mysterious predators. A group of unlikely allies bound by a bold, mutually beneficial idea have transformed a dangerous livelihood into a model for sustainable tourism.