In Perspective, Planet: Vast Shark Sanctuary Formed in Atlantic

How often can the President of a tiny country play a pivotal role in the protection of a major species of animal being hunted towards extinction?



The first drastic and masterful move was made in september 20123. "The President of the tiny Pacific republic, Johnson Toribiong, announced the sanctuary [during a september] session of the UN General Assembly.


"With half of the world's oceanic sharks at risk of extinction, conservationists regard the move as "game-changing".
It will protect about 600,000 sq km (230,000 sq miles) of ocean, an area about the size of France.
President Toribiong also called for a global ban on shark-finning, the practice of removing the fins at sea.

Many sharks are under threat for their ability to reproduce and survive. Their fins are part of a colossal and lucrative trade worldwide.

"The need to protect the sharks outweighs the need to enjoy a bowl of soup
President Johnson Toribiong

Fins are a lucrative commodity on the international market where they are bought for use in shark fin soup.
As many as 100 million sharks are killed each year around the world.
"These creatures are being slaughtered and are perhaps at the brink of extinction unless we take positive action to protect them," said President Toribiong."



Read more here and here.


Now the Cook Islands have added their own declaration and with it's edict, a massive sanctuary East of Australia will attempt to halt all shark fishing and possession of shark parts.


"The Cook Islands has approved a shark sanctuary in its waters, making for the largest such sanctuary in the world.

The South Pacific island chain declared a 1.9 million-sq-km sanctuary, contiguous with one established last week by neighbouring French Polynesia.

That sees a ban on shark fishing and possession or sale of shark products in an area now totalling 6.7 million sq km - nearly the size of Australia." Source

What''s so remarkable is that in world events, small countries most often have little say in what is agreed to internationally. Here, however, we reap the benefit of local native closeness to nature, perhaps for this proactive movement towards these giant sea creatures.



Of course, this does not solve the decimation of species occurring remarkably in out lifetime. but this, is at least, one bold move in the right direction!

Just imagine the role of photography in documenting the pointless and wholesale slaughter of one of the most ancient species of animal on the planet. I'd imagine the pictures of senseless slaughter provided the final impetus for decisive action. This is a special role for photography. It holds up a lantern to our own lives and the entire planet!

This is heartening!

Asher