This week has without a doubt been the highlight of my career as a marine conservationist. And,as someone who has had a long-term worship affair with the world’s oceans, it’s been a life highlight as well.
On 20 February 2013, or the Raja Ampat government officially announced that it has declared its entire 4 million hectares of coastal and marine waters a shark sanctuary.
This means that all harvesting of sharks is now prohibited in its waters. In addition,the sanctuary also gives full protection to a number ecologically and economically distinguished ocean species, such as manta rays, and dugongs,whales, turtles, or dolphins and ornamental fish species.
Why is this distinguished and why should we care?Well,sharks own a really tough time in our oceans. Beyond the often over-amplified fear people own of sharks, they are also targeted for their high-priced fins or are caught accidently in fishing nets.
It is estimated that at least 26-73 million sharks are killed each year globally, and mostly for their fins. Shark finning is one of the cruelest practices around—it involves throwing a still-breathing shark overboard with its fins cut off and its body bleeding into the water.
Source: nature.org