Two new shark sanctuaries have now been established in the Cayman Islands and St Maarten to protect endangered marine predators.
During a three day shark conservation meeting in St Maarten, the Cayman Islands and St Marteen declared their territorial waters covering some 119,631 square kilometres closed to all commercial shark fishing.
According to St Maarten’s Minister of Tourism Irania Arrindell, the newly declared shark sanctuary will help to ensure that local shark populations “exist for future generations and continue to benefit St Maarten’s marine ecosystem and ecotourism.”
With these two new protected areas, in place, there are now 14 shark sanctuaries worldwide.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean regional shark and sting ray sanctuaries have been created in The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Honduras, Saba and Bonaire.
