Jill Hepp, manager of global shark conservation for the Pew Environment Group stated, "Today's announcement permanently protects more than 40 shark species in Bahamian waters. We applaud the people and government of The Bahamas for being bold leaders in marine conservation."
The Bahamas was not the first nation to banned commercial shark fishing, other nations such as Palau, the Maldives and Honduras also passed laws prohibiting commercial fishing of sharks. Together, this adds up to almost 2.4 million square kilometers (926,645 square miles) of ocean, where these animals can now swim safely. Lets just hope more nations hope on this bandwagon...The Bahamian sanctuary was created by adding an amendment to the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act (Chapter 244) to prohibit commercial shark fishing along with the sale, importation and export of shark products. "The Bahamas prohibition on longline fishing gear 20 years ago protected the marine resources of the Bahamas and ensured that their shark populations would remain healthy, stated Eric Carey, executive director of The Bahamas National Trust (BNT). "But there was no specific laws in The Bahamas for sharks, the crown jewels of ocean health. The new regulations signed this morning by Minister Cartwright ensure that sharks can continue to thrive for generations in our waters, one of the world's best places to see sharks."
The new sanctuary is the result of a partnership between the Pew Environment Group and BNT, which began just as a major Bahamian seafood company announced its intention to catch sharks and export their fins (tsk tsk on this seafood company!) Globally, commercial fisheries kill up to 73 million sharks annually (threatening the future existence of many species!) - mainly for their fins.
A huge shout out to The Bahamas for making a huge leap in protecting the sharks and the future of our oceans!!
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