As
shark numbers fall, other species further down the food chain are put at risk
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.
As
top predators, overfishing of sharks disrupts complex oceanic food webs.
And
about a third of ocean-going sharks appear on the
internationally-recognised Red List
of Threatened Species.
"We
are proud as Cook Islanders to provide our entire exclusive economic zone... as
a shark sanctuary," said Teina Bishop, Cook Islands minister of marine
resources.
"We
join our Pacific neighbours to protect this animal, which is very vital to the
health of our oceans, and our culture."
Other
island nations with sanctuaries also include Palau, the Maldives, Tokelau,
Honduras and the Bahamas.
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