Palauan President's address to the UN and the Shark Sanctuary

Written by Administrator

Saturday, 26 September 2009 10:29

Below is the statement included in the address to the United Nations presented by President Johnson Toribiong of Palau, September 25, 2009:

(After discussing Palau's ban on bottom trawling, President Toribiong continues:)

"An equally destructive fishing practice is shark-finning. We have banned it in Palau and call upon the world to address this issue in order to save the sharks from extinction.

"The strength and beauty of sharks are a natural barometer for the health of our oceans. Therefore, I declare today that Palau will become the world's first national shark sanctuary, ending all commercial shark fishing in our waters and giving a sanctuary for sharks to live and reproduce unmolested in our 237,000 square miles of ocean. We call upon all nations to join us."

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PangeaSeed said:

Three Cheers for Palau!!!
PangeaSeed would like to thank everyone in Japan who took an interest in signing our petition to protect sharks in Palau during our summer campaign, No Fin No Future. This monumental victory for sharks in Palau and for the future of our oceans wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Together we can continue to raise the profile of this issue and encourage more governments to follow Palau’s pioneering decision.

September 28, 2009
Votes: +0

Palau Shark Sanctuary said:

	CONGRATULATIONS PALAU! This is huge news! Palau needs to hear applause, thanks and encouragement from conservation-minded individuals around the world for this game-changing decision and support for the international ban on shark-finning! Congratulations President Toribiong of Palau! Dermot Keane, Founder Palau Shark Sanctuary 2001
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September 27, 2009
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