Hear from Bahamian children from various islands of The Bahamas along with Bahamas National Trust Education Officer, Shelly Cant deliver a message on protecting sharks in The Bahamas.
This video Public Service Announcement This PSA was produced by The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), in
collaboration with Pew Environment Group, in support of a grassroots
petition to protect sharks in Bahamian waters.
Sharks are in trouble
globally, and there are few locations where healthy shark populations
still exist. In The Bahamas, a 20 year-old ban on longline fishing gear
has left its waters as one of the few places in the world with
relatively healthy shark populations. This has paid off for the small
island nation. According to The Bahamas Diving Association, diving
tourism has contributed up to $800 million to the Bahamian economy since
the longline ban.
There are, however, no laws there that specifically
protect sharks. Pew is currently working with The Bahamas National Trust
to gain permanent protections in all of The Bahamas' Exclusive Economic
Zone, an area encompassing approximately 630,000 square kilometers of
ocean. By establishing comprehensive protections for sharks, not only
will sharks be permanently safeguarded against other threats, but the
health of the marine environment and the economy of The Bahamas will be
conserved for generations to come.
