Shark sanctuary

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele said the move would help sustain a vital part of the ocean's ecosystem.

"We will not sit idly by while the demand for shark products robs our future generations of these culturally, ecologically and economically valuable species," he told the Samoa Observer this week.

"Let us together continue to safeguard these imperilled species for our future generations."

While Samoa's landmass is tiny, its waters cover 129,000 sq km, an area larger than South Korea.

RNZ reports Vice-President Kourabi Nenem  at the sanctuary's launch said that the nation was committed to protecting sharks from exploitation and overfishing.

Kiribati has banned commercial shark fishing in the sanctuary, which is about the size of India.

Palau established the region's first shark sanctuary in 2009.

The Marshall Islands and Tokelau followed suit in 2011 and a year later French Polynesia and the Cook Islands created adjacent shark sanctuaries spanning almost 4 million square kilometres of ocean.