The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that at least half of the world’s sharks are overexploited and in danger of extinction. Sharks have low fertility rates combined with long lives that do not enable them to bounce back as quickly as some species might. At least 73 million sharks are killed each and every year just to support the shark fin trade, which is caused by the demand for shark fin soup.
Palau’s President Johnson Toribiong announced the establishment of the sanctuary to the U.N.’s General Assembly. The sanctuary will cover 240,000 square miles, which includes their exclusive economic zone. The area stretches to some 200 miles from the coastline of Palau.
A major problem facing Palau is their ability to patrol such a large area. In addition to the sanctuary being immense, the country also only has one boat dedicated to the job of patrolling for illegal shark fishing. The president of Palau has indicated that the main reason for the dedication of the sanctuary is to send a message to the rest of the world.
President Toribiong stated: “We’ll do the very best we can, given our resources. The purpose of this is to call attention to the world to the killing of sharks for commercial purposes, including to get the fins to make shark fin soups, and they throw the bodies in the water.”
The sanctuary in Palau is hoping to protect approximately 135 different species of sharks and rays that are already endangered or vulnerable. Palau and environmental groups are hoping the rest of the world will take notice and take greater moves to protect sharks themselves.
