Jess about the Cook Islands Sanctuary!

PICI Programme Manager Jess Cramp secured shark protection support from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her visit to the islands last August - source.

Great post!

That's how you do it.

I'm still quite amazed at them having managed to pull this one off as for a while, it really looked like the Cook Islands would bow to the near-overwhelming pressure by important foreign fishing interests. This has required dogged perseverance, community support, smart legislation and a little help by some friends - and 100% passion!

Kudos again!

Biggest Shark Sanctuary in the World!

Source: Shark Defenders

Congratulations Pew!

I was sure they would not pull this one off.

Google Luen Thai Cook Islands and you will discover the saga of a huge Chinese fishing conglomerate taking Cooks Islands civil servants on junkets, engaging in exploratory Shark fishing and what have you - a long list of real or alleged shenanigans, and a formidable adversary of any Shark conservation measures.

But better heads have obviously prevailed.

The Cooks have announced their Sanctuary, and together with French Polynesia, American Samoa and Tokelau this is now a huge protected corridor in the SoPac.

Kudos!

And Fiji?

Nada de nada - like, alas, the rest of Melanesia!

And before you ask: no at this stage there is no hope for improvement.

The Cooks next?

Flag of the Cooks - the blue ocean with the 15 islands

Wow.
Looks like we're in for yet another Shark Sanctuary - and wanna bet Pew's got something to do with it? Anyway, read this announcement from the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative. I've never dived the Cooks but after seeing the list of Sharks and especially, if they declare a sanctuary, I may really want to re-consider!
And, I hear that there's more cooking in that nick of the Pacific!

And Fiji?
As they say here, make haste, slowly!
As far as I can discern, it's looking good - but as always, all will happen in its own time!