In the town of Kono in Papua New Guinea, the world’s only “Shark Calling Festival” begins again. Sharks are seduced here for three days, because only here, on the west coast, are the animals lured near the canoes by singing and rattling and then caught with their bare hands.
The festival has actually always existed, but at some point it became known beyond national borders. That was around 1975, says organizer John Merebo of the DPA news agency. People are convinced: the spirits of the ancestors live in the sharks, which will protect them from all dangers if they strictly follow the rules.
Shark callers worry about the future
“Sharks are a delicacy here in the village,” says Merebo. “Nothing goes to waste, we eat everything from head to tail except the skin.”
But the people of Kono worry about the future. On the one hand because of climate change, because rising sea temperatures have consequences for all ocean dwellers. On the other hand, there are controversial deep-sea mining projects in the region.