Thaindian News

London, Dec 5 (IANS) Dazzling with bright colours, a real-life version of Disney’s hit “Finding Nemo” will be a spectacular new haven for marine life.

Home to 1,397 species of fish, 600 species of rare coral and covering 17,760 square miles, the seas around Raja Ampat, New Guinea, are the last pristine untouched reefs in the world.

And now, thanks to a sweeping environmental initiative, species like the popular clown fish will be protected, the Daily Mail reports.

Known as the Four Kings Shark Sanctuary, the massive area has been set up to provide full protection for sharks, manta rays and turtles that live in the tropical Indonesian waters.

Designed to protect against pollution and illegal reef farming, the sanctuary is also hoped to help rehabilitate shark numbers after a massive decline blamed on human demands for delicacies like shark fin soup.

Raja Ampat enjoys the highest marine biodiversity in the world, but has until now been the scene of destructive overfishing that has severely threatened the eco-system.

Said Douglas Seifert, the world editor of Dive magazine: “This is a step in the right direction for the recovery of the shark population in the area, but because sharks only reach sexual maturity at six years old, it may take up to 15 years to see any progress.”

“Over 565 species or 70 percent of the world’s coral species live in Raja Ampat and it is at the heart of the Coral Triangle of south east Asia. The sanctuary will be policed by local fishermen backed by the Regent of Raja Ampat. They don’t want the seas to be ruined, over fished and laid to waste,” he added.

The campaign by Shark Savers and Misool Eco Resort won the support of more than 8,500 divers and conservationists. The sanctuary is the first of its kind in Indonesia.

Shark Savers executive director Michael Skoletsky said: “This new sanctuary owes its creation to thousands of ocean advocates who expressed the urgent need to protect sharks, mantas and other marine life.”