The Bahamas announced yesterday it would ban all commercial shark fishing in its 240,000 square miles of waters. The decision followed a campaign by environmental groups and a petition signed by 5,000 Bahamian residents. The Bahamas has nearly 40 species of sharks in its waters. Commercial longline fishing has been banned in the country for almost two decades, but there was no law specifically protecting sharks. The campaign was led by the Bahamas National Trust after a Bahamian seafood company considered exporting sharks to satisfy demand for shark fin soup in Asia. The Bahamas is one of four countries to have prohibited the commercial sale and export of sharks, including Honduras, Palau and the Maldives. [Miami Herald]
