Guams Youth Help to Notch Win for Shark Conservation

By banning the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins (spring of 2011), Guam has joined other Pacific islands in leading the charge for shark conservation.

"More and more, we see the islands of the Pacific stand tall against commercial fishing fleets that are depleting shark populations," said Matt Rand, director of Global Shark Conservation for the Pew Environment Group. "Pacific island leadership is helping these fish, threatened by the fin trade, to keep their place as apex predators in the ocean food chain.

With few shark-catching countries looking to improve how they manage their fisheries, the world is increasingly hearing from small island nations and territories—places where ecotourism is a viable industry—on the need for meaningful conservation action.