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This week, the Marshall Islands government a nnounced the creation of a 750,000-square-mile shark sanctuary, the world’s largest. 

The BBC reported on Sunday that the Marshall Islands would ban the trade of shark products and prohibit shark fishing in its waters. Although the island nation is home to a small population of 68,000, much of the Marshall Islands domestic revenue comes from the diving tourism industry. 

"In passing this [shark protection] bill, there is no greater statement we can make about the importance of sharks to our culture, environment and economy," said Sen. Tony deBrum, who co-sponsored the bill in the archipelago's Parliament. "Ours may be a small island nation but our waters are now the biggest place sharks are protected," he added. 

It just goes to show that even a country with a small population can still have a big impact on raising shark conservation awareness.