Scientists have discovered a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.

The shark nursery — where hammerhead sharks raise their hatchlings that are less than a year old — was discovered off Isabela Island.

"The discovery of these new breeding areas is very important, especially for the hammerhead shark," said Galapagos National Park ranger Eduardo Espinoza in a statement on Friday.

"It is an iconic species for the Galapagos, but it is in critical danger of extinction."

More protection needed

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) considers hammerhead sharks to be critically endangered.

Although they are open-water predators, hammerhead sharks seek out shallow nurseries to raise their pups in protected conditions.

But they are threatened by commercial fishing, as well as demand for their fins, which are used to make shark fin soup.

Friday's announcement was the third such nursery to be discovered in the archipelago. The exact locations have not been disclosed in order to protect the species.

"We managed to include these nurseries in a list of important areas for shark conservation, a new protection category under the IUCN," Espinoza said

zc/sms (Reuters, AFP)