FIRST OF ALL, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, AND HOW YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR ACTIVISM WORK.

I was really young when I was first introduced to the oceans, raised on a sailboat from the age of 2 and diving from the age of 11 thanks to my parents. From a young age, sharks were my favourite animals. I began to see their numbers decrease when I was only 14, which lead to my involvement in conservation.

HOW DID PROJECT HIU START? WAS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT THAT BROUGHT ABOUT CHANGE?

Project Hiu started the very first time I went to Indonesia, to film at the shark market. I was brought there by an Australian film crew for the documentary film “Blue”. The market is world famous for being one of the largest suppliers of sharks to the Indonesian shark trade, boats that have been out at sea for two weeks bring back their catch to this one spot. The first time I saw the dead sharks at the market, I knew I wanted to do something about it.

What has been the most exciting development for Project Hiu so far?

The most exciting development in my mind, has been watching captains and boats approach us looking for work. I think in my mind, I always assumed I would be talking fishermen into engaging in the project, now they are coming to us.

Describe your most treasured experience with sharks.

My most treasured experience with sharks was seeing a very large hammerhead at tiger beach in the Bahamas, it was one of the biggest sharks I have seen in my entire life.

You’re known as Shark Girl, you have directed, produced and starred in multiple documentaries and in 2017 you were named Australian Geographic Society’s Young Conservationist of the Year. What has been your most significant milestone for you so far?

My most significant milestone is yet to come I think… and it won’t have anything to do with awards but film, and the impact I can have through story telling. I hope to make a film that makes my fishermen famous. This will expose the shark trade, Indonesia involvement, the desperate situation our oceans are in & how amazing my fishermen are.

What advice do you have for others wanting to do their part for the ocean, and in particular for shark conservation?

The advice I have for those wanting to get involved in conservation is don’t expect to be able to study it at university or find involvement in an obvious place. You will need to carve your own path and you will need to be patient, it’s going to take time, sacrifice & it does not always involve being in the water with the animals you love- activism is done on land.

Many people aren’t aware of the plight that sharks are currently facing, nor are they aware that this is something that is happening right on their doorstep- and that Australia’s contribution to the shark fin trade is a lot more significant than one might think. Are you able to shed some light on this, and more importantly, what is currently being done to resolve this?

It would shock most people, what happens in our own backyard. In Australia, fisheries, shark nets & even sport fishing kills sharks daily…. We also supply shark fins for export and have serval shark fisheries where they are targeted for both meat and fins. There are many campaigns surrounding the trade of sharks in Australia, but a lot more needs to be done. The level or respect for sharks in Australia must be raised, years of having to share the water with them has not helped their reputation and therefore they are a difficult animal to advocate for.

What is your favourite species of shark and why?

Tiger sharks are my favourite species, I think because they have so much personality & to see one on a reef in Australia would always create a little fear within us, which was a wonderfully humbling experience.

Project Hiu has grown so much, and you now have a shop in Lombok, Indonesia. How does offering day trips contribute to the work of the Project?

The addition of day trips to our project is a massive step- previously I had to run trips to decommission a boat and I could only do this every now and then when I had time and enough people signing up! Now, we tap into local tourism, people that might not even know about the project when they walk by, they now have the chance to join a trip and help us make enough money to keep our boats from fishing.

What is the best way for people to support the Project, if they aren’t able to join a trip?

The best way is to donate- we can’t exist without donations. We also always need help applying for grants, optimising operation & raising awareness.

What can we expect from you, and from Project Hiu in the future?

I think you can expect great things, but if Covid taught us anything, its not plan too far ahead haha! Things are always changing, so I try not to set goals, however, I plan to scale our operation, continue researching sharks & giving back more to this fishing community that has allowed me to be part of their life.

Thank you so much madi for your time, advice and for sharing your incredible knowledge!

if you’d like more information on how to book a trip, or if you’d like to learn the latest updates on project hiu, check out www.projecthiu.com and @projecthiu on instagram. to find out more on the work that madi is doing and to keep up with her journey you can follow her on instagram @sharkgirlmadison. you can also listen to her podcast ‘shark stories’ on spotify.

🌊💙

Madi Stewart