Here is some good news to start December!
Colombia announced Friday that sharks’ artisanal and commercial fishing would be prohibited within Colombian waters. By decree, shark fishing is illegal throughout the 127,413.7 square miles of Colombia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Additionally, the Colombian President Iván Duque announces that fishers affected by the ban will be able to replace their income through payments for “environmental services.”
“Today we have made a government decision, supported and sustained, and that is that any form of shark fishing is prohibited in Colombia, be it industrial or artisanal. And as we know that this has effects on some artisanal fishing sectors, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture will establish compensation measures through a decree to serve this sector, ”-President Iván Duque.
Colombian Minister of the Environment, Carlos Eduardo Correa, justifies the ban by recognizing that sharks contribute to the balance of marine ecosystems.
“It is a very important decision for the country, because it means taking care of natural resources and our ecosystem.”-Carlos Eduardo Correa.
Families that have traditionally hunted sharks for local consumption will receive “compensation measures.”
According to Correa, approximately 250 families in Guajira (north Colombia) and 300 others off the Pacific coast will receive compensation.
Colombia is home to around 76 species of shark. Let’s hope that more countries follow Colombia’s example.
