Success! Commercial Shark Fishing Banned in the Bahamas

Commercial fisheries kill up to 73 million sharks annually, threatening the future of hundreds of endangered shark species. Now, thanks to the efforts of Pew Global Shark Conservation and the Bahamas National Trust, with the help of over 20,000 Care2 members, the 40 species of sharks in the Bahamas can be safe from slaughter.

Although the sharks of the Bahamas enrich the ecosystem and generate millions of dollars in ecotourism, a major Bahamian seafood company recently announced its intention to indiscriminately slaughter Bahamian sharks and export their fins. But the Bahamian government stepped in just in time, prohibiting all commercial shark fishing in Bahamian waters.

Thanks in large part to animal activists both worldwide and in the Bahamas, the Bahamian government declared this week that the country’s 240,000 square miles of ocean will now be a shark sanctuary. The law also prohibits the import and export of any shark parts and the sale or purchase of shark parts anywhere in the Bahamas.

The island nation joins Palau, the Maldives and Honduras in outlawing the commercial fishing of sharks. Together, this adds up to almost 1 million square miles of ocean where these animals can now swim safely. Now, one of the world’s most diverse and plentiful shark populations can thrive without the danger of horrifically destructive commercial fisheries.

Thank you for joining in the fight to save Bahamian sharks. Hopefully, the rest of the planet will soon follow suit to preserve our marine environment. Please continue taking action!