British Virgin Islands to become shark sanctuary
We are delighted with the news that the British Virgin Islands are to create a shark sanctuary, joining the Bahamas and Honduras as the first Caribbean countries to protect these magnificent animals.
The British Virgin Islands consists of 31square miles of habitat for sharks, with commercial fishing of sharks now prohibited within this area. The sale and trade of sharks and shark products has also been permanently banned.
“Our people are committed to sustainably managing our resources,” said Dr. Kedrick Pickering, Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources for the Virgin Islands. “We recognize that sharks are important to our oceans and our eefs and that the best way to manage their populations is to let them fulfill their ecological role as apex predators.”
Palau was the first country in the world to protect sharks in it's water in 2009 and were followed by the Maldives, Micronesia and Raja Ampat in Indonesia. The Bahamas and Honduras were the first Caribbean countries to create shark sancuaries 2011. The British Virgin Island's announcement brings the total number of shark sanctuaries globally to seven.
