An article profiles an initiative by the Government of Palau to make Palauan waters a shark sanctuary, noting that shark tourism now generates 8 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).
The authors suggest that in a world of competing demands and limited resources, economic considerations can help to tip decisions in favour of conservation, instead of degradation.
14 November 2011: UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner, together with Erik Solheim, Norway’s Minister of the Environment, have published an article on the current status of migratory species, ahead of the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The article highlights the plight of migratory species, as well as conservation success stories that have led to economic benefits.
The article profiles an initiative by the Government of Palau to make Palauan waters a shark sanctuary, noting that shark tourism now generates 8 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). The authors note that, in a world of competing demands and limited resources, economic considerations can help tip decisions in favor of conservation, as opposed to degradation. It suggests that such strategic thinking can help to protect the world’s 10,000 migratory species. [UNEP Press Release]