Do you remember that famous saying: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Apparently it was the Dalai Lama who said it. In the case of shark conservation, which has accelerated dramatically over the past decade or so, think of the small Pacific island nations as being that mosquito.

They’re not used to having their voice heard in big national meetings – or even being at the table. But because they are so small, and their economies are so reliant on fish and tourism, they could see clearly early on how fishing practices endangered sharks.