Americans Fined $125,000 for Killing Sharks in Sanctuary

Image Credit: TANAKA Juuyoh

This goes to show that no one is exempt from consequences when willfully harming sea creatures.

An American fishing vessel was fined $125,000 for the illegal shark catching in the Marshall Islands Shark Sanctuary.

The very same fishing vessel has been repeatedly seen engaging in fishing violations, including setting nets around a whale shark, according to Marshall Islands Marine Resource Authority legal advisor Tion Nabau.

Setting nets on whale sharks was banned by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in December 2012. Whale sharks, who are considered vulnerable under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, often die due to the stress of being caught in a net.

The Marshall Islands Shark Sanctuary has set the bar for legal framework and enforcement to protect endangered shark species. As one of the largest sanctuaries in the Central Pacific, they are a leader in shark conservation efforts and are an example to be followed around the world.

Sharks are amazing creatures that play a vital role in the ocean ecosystem by eating sick, old or weak prey, which keeps prey populations strong and at healthy numbers. Shark sanctuaries promote the establishment of laws banning the trade and sale of shark fins, which are one of the main causes of shark death today.

We should continue to support shark sanctuaries in their mission to keep these balancers of the ocean ecosystem alive and well.

Source: http://www.sharkdefenders.com/2014/08/americans-fined-12500-for-killing.html