Government ministers were encouraged to adopt legislation to outlaw shark fishing at a breakfast briefing on shark conservation hosted by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) yesterday morning.
Experts from the international non-profit organisation the Pew Environmental Group told Cabinet ministers how such legislation would not only ensure the health of the coral reefs and sustain vital fisheries, it would also continue to support the lucrative shark tourism industry as local populations are unmatched elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Director of global shark conservation for the Pew Environmental Group Matt Rand explained how shark populations are declining worldwide as 73 million a year are fished for their fins to be used in the Chinese delicacy shark fin soup.
“Because of this luxury item these creatures are being wiped off the planet,” Mr Rand said.
“The oceans have evolved for more than 400 million years with sharks and they never had predators.
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