The Atlantic Ocean archipelago yesterday said it was banning the commercial fishing of sharks in its 630,000 square kilometers of water, along with the sale, import or export of shark products.
The US-based Pew Environment group has campaigned around the world to encourage shark protection.
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Before the Bahamas, Honduras, Maldives and Palau also declared sanctuaries for sharks.Environmentalists say that about 73 million sharks are killed each year, generally by hacking off their fins, which can fetch lucrative prices as they are served in Chinese soups as a delicacy.
The Bahamas counts tourism as a major industry and a recent study found that shark diving was already worth $US80 million a year, a figure the government hopes will rise once the ban comes into force.
The Bahamas in 1993 banned long-line fishing, which has largely prevented shark fishing.
But no specific law prohibited the commercial killing of sharks and environmentalists pressed for action after a seafood company last year said it would start catching the predator for export.
California is considering imposing a ban on shark fin sales, which activists hope would have a major effect due to the state's large Chinese American population.
AFP
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/bahamas-bans-shark-fishing-20110706-1h1nk.html#ixzz1RJOUQyKm
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