Palau has the support of other leaders in Micronesia to protect species of sharks deemed to be under threat, by creating a shark sanctuary.
A spokesperson for Palau's President, Risong Tarkong, says whale sharks are one species in need of urgent protection in Micronesian waters.
She says Palau's President, Johnson Toribiong, called for regional cooperation on the sanctuary at a Micronesian leaders summit at the weekend.
"They especially have to work together protecting vulnerable shark populations in Micronesia and the adverse effects because of that towards tourism. So they've initially agreed to take strong measures to better protect the populations of vulnerable sharks so this is really exciting, because it's an initial step towards acknowledging the need to protect the sharks."
Risong Tarkong.
