Scuba diving in St. Maarten and the Cayman Islands is about to get a big boost. With the desire of protecting endangered species, two Caribbean governments have now declared two new shark sanctuaries. The territorial waters of Cayman Islands and St. Maarten, approximately 119,631 sq. kms, are now being protected and now closed to all commercial shark fishing.
The announcement was made during the three-day conservation meeting in the St. Maarten with the ministers, global shark experts, officials from Pew Charitable Trusts, St. Maarten Nature Foundation, Bahamas National Trust and billionaire ocean advocate Richard Branson.
Currently, there are 14 shark sanctuaries worldwide, half of which are found in Caribbean waters.
Mr. Branson commended the two Caribbean governments on their “act” and encourages other regional areas to follow and establish a Caribbean-wide shark sanctuary.
This move will greatly improve the Caribbean ecosystem and will boost ecotourism in the region.
Read the full story in the News 24 article ‘2 new shark sanctuaries created in Caribbean‘ or on Ecophiles ‘Two New Caribbean Shark Sanctuaries Created: Goodbye Shark Fishing‘.
