Shark Fishing Banned in The Bahamas

Shark fishing banned in the Bahamas, The Bahamas has banned shark fishing in its waters and prohibited the sale, import and export of shark products. The ban was approved by Agriculture Minister Larry Cartwright in the capital, Nassau, on Tuesday. The archipelago joins Honduras, the Maldives and Palau in outlawing shark fishing.

The government also increased shark-fishing fines from $3,000 (£1,900) to $5,000. Needing protection, In 1993 the Bahamas banned long-line fishing, which limited shark fishing and protected 40 species of sharks inhabiting its waters. But shark fishing was not banned outright, and when a local seafood company announced last year that it planned to export shark meat and fins to Hong Kong, activists called for a new law to be introduced.

Environmentalists welcomed the ban. Neil McKinney, president of the Bahamas National Trust, which manages the country's resources, said sharks played an extremely important role in balancing the ecosystem. The US-based Pew Environment Group said each reef shark brought some $250,000 to the archipelago's economy.