The Pacific nation of Palau was honored as the world’s first shark sanctuary during the United Nations General Assembly in New York last September. And now, The Maldives join forces with Palau to further the conservation of the worlds’ shark population.
These pro-active and increased efforts come as a result of the diminishing shark population, which is in danger of collapse because of limited protective measures. As a matter of fact, shark fishing has grown rapidly since the mid-1980s, because of the rising demand for shark fin soup, a highly coveted expression of wealth. Sharks, in general, have a long life span and low fertility rates making them vulnerable to extinction.
Palau President Johnson Toribiong called for a global ban on shark-finning and for other nations to follow suit. Through his actions, he has placed Palau at the very forefront of worldwide efforts to protect sharks and now many other countries are following suit. As a matter of fact, the United States’ Shark Conservation Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now awaiting a vote in the Senate.
Palau, with 20,000 inhabitants and an archipelago of more than 500 islands, formally established a protective zone to help preserve the predatory fish and support local tourism, protecting its 136 species in its 237,000 square miles of ocean, an area nearly the size of Texas.
And just last week, The Maldives announced it was making its territorial waters a shark sanctuary as well and has banned all imports and exports of shark fins.
In addition to the ethical and economic impact of protecting the shark population, sharks are an apex predator that are critical for maintaining the health of the oceans and the health of the population of fish and other species that are a mainstay of the human diet.
Palau, Micronesia --- Visit us at www.visit-palau.blogspot.com
Located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia, Palau is an archipelago of more than 586 islands with about 20,000 inhabitants. Consistently ranked as one of the world's best dive destinations, Palau is the ultimate paradise for the adventurous traveler, boasting some of the most spectacular water features and beaches as well as the world famous Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake. With more than 1,400 species of fish and 500 species of coral, some have called Palau the "8th Natural Wonder of the World", while others have identified Palau as "One of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World."* For more information about Palau, please visit www.visit-palau.com.
Palau is blessed with a wealth of biodiversity and natural resources. The Nation enjoys clean air, clean water, abundant marine life and healthy, productive coral reefs and native forests. Weaving these sources of natural and human wealth together is perhaps the most important resource of all: Tradition. Palauans maintain strong cultural ties to their land, waters and history. It is though these traditional ties that Palau strives to preserve and conserve all of its precious resources.
