Fishing for sharks in international waters is unrestricted, but conservation groups are calling for urgent measures to set limits on shark catch and fishing quotas.

BBC: RELATED BBC SITES

The new laws will also set legally binding limits to ensure sustainable fishing levels, with annual quotas underpinned by scientific advice.

BBC: EU agrees to new fish dumping laws

Fishing crews are pushing for the limits to be relaxed but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) insists on a precautionary approach.

BBC: Shortages: Fish on the slide

The UN says if the Israeli limits were lifted, fishing could provide employment and be a cheap source of protein for the people of Gaza.

BBC: Life in the Gaza Strip

California's fishing industry was dismayed about the number of prime fishing spots that will be put off limits.

NPR: California Cuts Coastal Fishing to Restore Ecosystem

Some sectors of the economy, one of the poorest in Asia, remain off-limits to foreign ownership, including fishing and farming.

FORBES: Standard Chartered First In Line As Myanmar Mulls Foreign Bank Licenses

But the new bill could lead to the removal of limits on incidental kills, which protect animals like sea turtles or dolphins caught in fishing nets.

CNN: Is Endangered Species Act in danger? - Sept. 26, 1995