On Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, the Pew Environment Group will host public screenings of “Sanctuary: The Last Stand for Sharks,” a new documentary that portrays the underwater world of sharks and the global threats they face.

This unusual film, directed and produced by John Weller and Shawn Heinrichs, highlights the important steps needed to protect sharks in the Federated States of Micronesia and the growing movement to prevent extinction and save these threatened species. The film also portrays the most recent protections and paints a picture of the global threats faced by sharks.

Beginning with Palau in 2009, protections for sharks have been established by countries and territories as diverse as the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Tokelau, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Honduras. More and more nations recognize that sharks are more valuable alive than dead, and that they contribute both to the economy and the stability of ocean ecosystems.

Friday, June 22 at Hopwood Junior High School, Saipan, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 23 at American Memorial National Park, Saipan, 7 p.m.

For more information about the Saipan screenings, please contact Rachel Brittin.