SHARK PARK - FINALIST
FIJI

Sharks are older than the dinosaurs. They have survived virtually unchanged for hundreds of millions of years. But for some species their survival is in doubt. Habitat and prey are vanishing. Sharks too are killed for their fins, a delicacy in Chinese restaurants. In one corner of the world, that trend is being bucked.

In Fiji a commercial diving company has taken the initiative to safeguard a reef, which is an important refuge for resident and visiting sharks. Many divers do not share a visceral fear of sharks, and will pay handsomely for the privilege of spotting them.

Beqa Adventure Divers has succeeded in getting local fishermen to support the establishment of a marine reserve in an area that had been virtually fished out. After a three-year fishing moratorium the sharks are starting to return and the diversity of the reef is recovering, with 267 species recorded in the latest survey. The key to Beqa's success has been to ensure that the money paid by the divers goes direct to the fishermen to encourage them not to over-fish the reef.