The Oceania country Samoa has announced that a huge shark sanctuary will be created soon to stabilize the ocean's ecosystem, and joining other Pacific countries to protect the marine life.
Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi told Samoa Observer that the country will not tolerate the threat to marine life, as the demand for shark products would "rob our future generations of these culturally, ecologically and economically valuable species."
The island of Samoa, discovered around 3,500 years ago by the Lapita people, has a population of 194,320, with a very small geography but its waters cover almost 129,000 square km.
Shark sanctuaries are created to protect the predators from being fished. While many scientists are trying to learn the critical role of this species in coral reef and other marine ecosystems, such sanctuaries will help to secure and restore the shark population.
The first shark sanctuary was created in 2009 in the western Pacific Ocean nation Palau.
Other countries such as New Zealand, an island republic in the Central Pacific called Kiribati, another nation in the South Pacific, Cook Islands, Tokelau, which is situated in the halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand have contributed to change the attitudes towards the marine predators and to reduce the demand of shark fin soup.
There is always a demand for Shark meat and several parts of their bodies in the market. In Europe, North America, and South America people can easily get shark meat in a supermarket like any other fruit or vegetable.
According to Sharks-World, this trend has started since many people started considering fish an alternative to other meats. In Asia, eating shark is akin to eating chicken and the shark fin is in high demand because Asian people prepare a costly soup and other foods from it during the banquet.
Despite several statutory regulations to restrict the hunt of sharks, millions of sharks are killed illegally almost every day.
