The Indonesian government has granted six species of threatened “walking sharks” the highest level of protection across all national waters — a move experts hope will lead to the conservation of other sharks, whose numbers have plummeted due largely to the shark fin trade. “Walking sharks are small, charismatic and absolutely harmless to humans. Our hope is that they will be ambassadors for the conservation of their toothier cousins,” said Iqbal Herwata Putra, a scientist with Konservasi Indonesia, Conservation International’s main partner in the country. “This is a big step that culminates years of effort,” he added. “We hope it will give walking sharks the chance to thrive in a changing climate.” © Mark Erdmann A leopard epaulette shark in the Milne Bay region of eastern Papua New Guinea.…