IUCN

Sharks and their relatives, the rays and chimaeras, are the diverse group of cartilaginous fishes that have evolved over 400 million years. Historically considered of low economic value to large-scale fisheries, today many of these fishes have become the target of directed commercial and recreational fisheries around the world, and they are increasingly taken in the by-catch of fisheries targeting other species.

In 1994, IUCN launched Parks for life: Action for Protected Areas in Europe - a plan devised by IUCN with 200 partners to ensure an adequate, effective and well-managed network of protected areas in Europe. In November 1997, some 150 protected area experts from 34 countries met to review progress and chart a course for future work.

WWF and IUCN have joined forces to outline a policy that will address the complexity of the oceans and coasts as well as our dependency on them. The challenge of protecting and sustainably managing marine natural resources, the last great source of wild-caught food on this planet, is a daunting one. The document sets out the goals to be attained and the guiding principles by which these objectives can be achieved