Transdisciplinary Human- Shark researcher
Professor SNU
PhD. Anth (2021) & PhD. Psyc (2013)
International officer & India-lead- Marine Social Sciences Network
Human animal conflict advisor- Sundarban tiger widow welfare association.
Faculty Coordinator for ICUN Forests 2023 International Course Program.
All content ©️ Raj Sekhar Aich
+91 90518 75180
Videos
It has been a pleasure to present talks at various universities and research research organizations. Here are a few video sessions of virtual conference, and also other videos including my documentary film.
(The videos may take a moment to generate)
White Shark Cage diving; an ethical conundrum.
White Shark Cage diving; an ethical conundrum, my reflexive presentation at the Symbiotic Ethics Conference, University of Exeter 2021. White shark cage diving is practiced in 5 places, the newest one being at the very end of South Island, New Zealand, 1600 km from Antarctica. However, this practice raises some ethical conundrums about human interaction with the sharks and its effects on the lives of both species. Based on the first-ever multispecies ethnographic investigation among these two species and various legal, social, economic ideas and beliefs, this article problematizes the ethical considerations related to the practice of cage diving. On one hand, there are claims that it helps demystify the sharks from their monstrous image, at the same time the practice utilizes the same image to promote itself. Furthermore, although there is not much evidence that it alters the behavior of the animals involved, the communities living closest to them fear imminent shark attacks. This in effect has led to a human-animal conflict, where reportedly sharks are being killed because certain groups feel it would keep the sharks and hence the cage diving operators away from their communal waters. Alternatively, the supporters of cage diving claim it helps immediate identification of any illegal shark killing or fishing in the southern waters and argues ‘a live shark is more valuable than a dead one’. Furthermore, I reflect on the act of ethnography among this orchestrated human-shark meeting, where the agency of the sharks is as relevant as the humans to create a successful encounter. While taking verbal and audiovisual documentation of the humans in the practice all permissions and consents are acquired- similarly, should and could there be protocols of acquiring consents from the sharks before their images are captured, and shared- if they are indeed considered to be sentient active actors in the human- shark network of interaction. Situated at the liminality of these ethical conundrums this will be the first multispecies contribution exploring ethics of human and shark interaction on both species.
Technology in human shark research,
a 5 min presentation.
Discussing about Technology in human shark research at the Digital Technology in Nature workshop organized by the The University of Melbourne, Australia. At the Animal Computer Interaction Conference 2021, 9 November 2021.
SHHRKS, Transdisciplinary human-shark research.
It has been a pleasure to introduce a new human- shark research methodology I have been working on for the Blackpool and The Fylde College. The lives and oceanscapes of sharks are highly threatened. The present way of creation and dissemination of knowledge is not having an effective impact on shark conservation initiatives. Consequently, in this proposal, I plant the seeds of Shark- human holistic research and Knowledge system approach (SHHRKS) a transdisciplinary, transmodal, tranceknowledge system multispecies approach in education, creation, analysis, and dissemination of shark knowledge and its application in policy. I explore the need for such an approach, the methodological considerations, and how can such an approach be beneficial. Furthermore, I propose examples of how such an approach be implemented through examples of a tentative curriculum.
Iridescent Skin,
the documentary
A sensory documentary exploring Humans and White sharks encountering each other through cage diving in Foveaux Strait, seen and felt through the eyes of the researcher among them. Sponsor, Art director, Logistics support, research Assistant- Soosie Lucas Primary editor- Sandip Chowdhury Director, producer, music, editor, camera- Raj Sekhar Aich (Please use headphones or good speakers while watching)