The Bahamas has banned catching, selling, importing, and exporting sharks and shark products, in a measure to protect the shark population, reports
RTT News.
The ban was approved Tuesday by Larry Cartwright, Agriculture Minister. Violators of the new law will be fined $5,000.
Sharks are essential for balancing the ecosystem and play an “extremely important” role, Neil McKinney, President of the Bahamas National Trust, told reporters.
The Bahamas is the fourth country to ban shark fishing following the lead of Honduras, the Maldives, and Palau.
It is estimated that 73 million sharks are hunted and killed each year for their fins, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.
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