In a move officials say will help protect the Virgin Islands’ fragile marine ecosystems, all the waters surrounding the territory have been designated a sanctuary for sharks and rays.
An order issued last week prohibits commercial fishing for the animals, as well as their sale, feeding and “mutilation.”
The Fisheries (Protected Species) Order 2014 punishes offences with a fine of up to $1,000.
Acting Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer Kelvin Penn noted that under the order, fishers may catch most species of sharks “for private subsistence,” meaning that a licensed fisher may catch a shark that he or she plans to eat.
The order, however, states that any sharks listed as either endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature may not be caught at all. Endangered species sometimes found in the Caribbean include the great hammerhead shark, the grey nurse shark, and the Atlantic angel shark.
Under the order, which prohibits sale of “shark or shark parts,”local restaurants will need to remove shark from their menus.
See the May 29, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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