'Be nice to sharks day', 'hug a shark' or 'invite sharks into your seaside community' to support their welfare are not instant campaign motifs that spring to mind...

For a generation who had their experience of going to the cinema memorably unsettled by the Stephen Spielberg classic, Jaws, currently spellbinding a new generation of fans with its 4k restoration re-release in the UK... being nice to sharks is not something that many people would consider as a major good cause to get behind...

However, as audiences watch Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss tackling that monster Spielberg shark at UK cinemas again, that's exactly what everyone is now being invited to do.

As the king size rubber shark gobbles up marine transport for fun on screen and leaves fictional swimming beaches no go areas, impressive news for shark conservationists tackling a real and vitally important conservation issue is also unfolding...

Endangered sharks will be given greater protection, including in the UK, following the signing of an international agreement on the conservation of sharks, the UK Fisheries Ministry has announced.

The UK becomes the 24th signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding on shark conservation agreed under the Convention on Migratory Species.

Species of shark covered under the agreement are shortfin, white, porbeagle and Northern hemisphere populations of the spiny dogfish.

In other words hands off those sharks to fishermen and polluters...

The conservation of sharks – the fact they exist in Britain's cold waters, may be a surprise to some but yes it is true – is becoming a significant part of marine conservation campaigns.

They are absolutely vital for their eco-system.

Sharks like any major predator – whether it be wolves or lions - are an important part of their eco-system.

In this case their marine eco system... Their loss could lead to major damage to their marine environment...

The Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks is an international programme for the conservation of migratory sharks.

The IUCN considers one third of all shark species as threatened or near threatened...

Many sharks are migratory and move across different waters so global partnerships are being seen as vital.

The latest step for greater protection for sharks affects UK waters and a number of UK Overseas Territories.

UK charity the Shark Trust has welcomed this week’s signing of the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sharks by the UK Minister for Fisheries Richard Benyon.

The move recognises the vulnerability of migratory sharks to fishing, habitat destruction and climate change.

Through the Memorandum signatories will be encouraged to develop conservation measures and especially support threatened species like basking and whale sharks...

Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said:

"We must do all we can to protect these vulnerable species before they are lost forever."

The news is great for marine conservationists as the campaign for protecting sharks continues to gather momentum.

Many non-profits are of course leading the way in terms of campaigning for shark protection.

The WWF is just one such conservation charity striving for protections for sharks globally...