One Person Making a Difference — Madison Stewart in Conversation
Madison
Stewart
aka Shark Girl · Founder, Project Hiu
Filmmaker, conservationist, and the woman who went back to offer shark fishermen an alternative. From Byron Bay to Indonesia — one person making a difference.
Madison, tell us about yourself and your love for sharks.
I've been in love with sharks since I was young. I got involved in conservation because I was already seeing a change in our oceans. After making my first documentary I continued down a path of helping sharks in any way I can — my filmmaking has been my strongest tool and passion to this day.
From taking on supermarket chains selling shark meat, to targeting infamous shark hunters, I've had many years in the conservation struggle, with my main objective always being to protect the oceans I grew up in. I have always grown up in the oceans, living on a yacht from the age of two and then growing up on the water in Australia's Gold Coast. At 12 years old I was a certified open water diver at Sundive in Byron Bay. The oceans are my home.
"The oceans are my home. I am just a person who refuses to believe they will lose their home in their lifetime, at the hands of governments and worldwide neglect of this species."
How did Project Hiu come about?
I was flown to Indonesia for a documentary and taken to this shark fishing market to film. We filmed and left and it never felt right to me — we were demonising people who were feeding their families! I know the same thing happens in Australia behind closed doors so it didn't feel right to target them just because it's in the open.
So I went back a few years later with the idea of approaching a fisherman and asking how much to rent their boat. Two years later I employ six boats. Challenges were raising money, and being a young girl — thankfully I had some help getting the fishermen on board in the first place.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
Valerie Taylor is my major inspiration. She's my hero.
Plans for Project Hiu in this coming decade?
Project Hiu has grown an insane amount since it started. I have been letting it develop without having too many ideas or goals. I hope to increase the amount of fishermen we employ, continue to help the local school, and raise more awareness about the life of shark fishermen.
"I work for sharks. They are everything to me. My story is one of loss at the hands of environmental injustice, and I work to take back what I believe is mine — a future in an ocean that has sharks."
What is the biggest misconception people have towards shark fishing?
I think the biggest misconception is that the shark fishermen — in this case in particular — are hunting sharks because they hate them and enjoy killing sharks. In this case, it's the men profiting from the sale of shark fins in Hong Kong that are in need of attention. The real enemy.
The shark fishermen I work with do not want to fish sharks. They are trying to make enough money for the basics — school, rice and water.
"Years ago, research conducted on fishing communities in Indonesia sought to determine the reason that any one fishing expedition would come to a close. The answer was clear from the fishermen themselves: 'We come back when the boat is full of fins, or when we've run out of cigarettes. These days we always run out of cigarettes first.'"
"Powerful words that in a truly organic way put into perspective the dramatic shift in our oceans. Not long ago, sharks averaged less than two percent of the catch produced by fisheries in Indonesia. Then at the beginning of the 21st century, Indonesia was the world's leading shark producer."
"I was brought to Indonesia to document this trade. At this moment I began to think of how I could possibly work my way into this issue to effectively create change as an individual. It wasn't until a year later I would return with a very different intention. I originally travelled to this market to expose the shark trade and the men at its heart. I went back, to offer those men an alternative."
Antakly Projects — originally Ninu Nina — has been archiving conversations with the most inspiring voices in art, film, photography, conservation and culture since 2003. We are very excited to present this new chapter of interviews, and Madison Stewart is exactly the kind of voice this platform exists to amplify.
Explore the full archive — search our interviews with artists, photographers, filmmakers, designers and changemakers. Learn more about some of the most inspiring talent in the world.
Not now, nor has it ever been impossible for one person to make a difference. ✦And for the personal rants on life, opinions you didn't ask for, and the occasional existential spiral: follow me on Substack.
