On 25 September 2009, Palau, an island country which share maritime boundaries with Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Federated States of Micronesia, announced that it would create the world's first shark sanctuary. Palau banned all commercial shark fishing within the waters of its exclusive economic zone. The sanctuary protects about 600,000 square kilometres of ocean, a similar size to France. President Johnson Toribiong proposed a worldwide ban on fishing for sharks. In 2012, Palau received the Future Policy Award from World Future Council, because "Palau is a global leader in protecting marine ecosystems".
