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The Federated States of Micronesia creates the world’s second-largest shark sanctuary

Requin albimarginatus Pacifique @ Laëtitia Scuiller
Requin albimarginatus Pacifique @ Laëtitia Scuiller

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) passed legislation in early February to create a shark sanctuary in the country’s full exclusive economic zone, which covers nearly 3 million square kilometers in the western Pacific Ocean. The measure prohibits the commercial fishing and trade of sharks and rays.

A trans-boundary sanctuary for all the sharks that migrate across the western Pacific

“Our traditional stories say that sharks protect the people. Now the people will protect the sharks.” said the President Manny Mori who signed the legislation, now Public Law No. 18-108, on February 27, 2015.

“Our commitment to the Micronesia Challenge includes the protection of the top predators in our ocean.” The Micronesia Challenge is a regional declaration of conservation goals to which the nation agreed in 2006.

“The completion of the Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary is truly a landmark action because it joins together a massive swath of the western Pacific as a trans-boundary sanctuary for all the sharks that migrate across this huge ocean region.” Angelo Villagomez, a shark expert with Pew.

The 10th shark sanctuary in the world

On a broader scale, passage of the legislation marks the completion of the Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary, which already includes the waters of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the U.S. territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. In total, the area of protected shark habitat across the contiguous area is larger than the size of the European Union.

Passage of the FSM’s law creates the 10th shark sanctuary in the world and cements the country as a global leader in shark conservation. The sanctuary will protect iconic species such as silky and thresher sharks, which are considered near threatened and threatened, respectively, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.