Black-tipped shark

On Tuesday, Monaco's Oceanographic Museum opened the doors to its new campaign as well as an area dedicated to the endangered species. The aim is to educate and inform the public, and with the endorsement of Johnson Toribiong, President of Palau, the institute hopes to help re-invent the image of the shark.

Toribiong leads an innovative campaign against the hunting of sharks in Palau, forbidding fishing some 600,000 square kilometres. 30 per cent of all sharks are in danger of extinction and are hunted worldwide with over 100 million caught and killed each year. It is not just the idea of the species going extinct that is of concern, the shark is also an essential part of the ocean's eco-system.

In 2011, the museum welcomed two adult black-tipped sharks and five babies, adding to its collection of nurse sharks and zebra sharks, amongst others. With around 675,000 visitors to the Oceanographic Museum each year, the museum hopes that by dedicating a whole area to shark species, the public can become better acquainted with one of the ocean's most mythical creatures.

The museum has also organised a series of lectures about the species as well as publishing a book and an exhibition.

Elsa Carpenter