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On Thursday, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Republic of Palau, pledging their efforts to help enforce the rules of the world’s first shark sanctuary.

The Sea Shepherds –best known for their skirmishes with Japanese whaling vessels as seen on the TV show, “Whale Wars”- have promised to work with Palau’s Division of Marine Law Enforcement (DMLE) to better protect the sanctuary from poachers, who often manage to “fin” sharks unnoticed. The Palau shark sanctuary, the world’s first protected marine area designated solely for these toothy predators, was created in 2001 to end the controversial practice of shark finning in Palau’s waters.

“President Johnson Toribiong has led the world in taking action to protect sharks,” explained Sea Shepherd’s Capton Watson, “and his establishment of a shark and marine mammal sanctuary is a call to action for other nations to defend diminishing populations of marine species.”

This collaboration between legal action and civilian participation is a significant step forward in safeguarding declining shark populations, a species that so far mere legislation has failed to protect adequately.

“Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is honored to be working with President Toribiong and Palau’s Council of Chiefs,” added Captain Watson. “We are proud to be a part of protecting the incredibly beautiful and biologically important islands of the Republic of Palau.” 

For more information on this story, you can visit the Sea Shepherd or Palau Shark Sanctuary’s official websites.