Venezuela Bans Shark Finning, Establishes Shark Sanctuary

22 Jun 20127:04 PM

Posted in Conservation, Conservation Corner, Guy Harvey, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Guy Harvey Outpost Ltd., Marine Science, Sharks | Leave a comment

By GHO Admin

NOTE: This post was excerpted from an article by Douglas Main on OurAmazingPlanet. Click here to read the full article.

Some much-needed good news for sharks has come from Venezuela this week: The South American country announced it is banning shark finning in its waters and has established a new shark sanctuary.

The country became the last in the Americas to outlaw the practice of cutting off the fins of live sharks and tossing the animals back into the ocean to slowly die.

The country also has created a sanctuary where several important shark species breed, outlawing commercial shark fishing there. The sanctuary consists of 1,440 square miles (3,730 square kilometers) of the Caribbean Sea surrounding the Los Roques Archipelago, a popular tourist destination.