Maldives, the First Country in the Region to Ban Shark Fishing

March 03, 2009, Malé: The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture officially announced yesterday the successful passage of the regulation regarding the banning of shark fisheries.

The regulation, which comes into effect from March 1, 2009, imposes a complete ban on fishing for any species of sharks within twelve miles from the atoll rim of all atolls of the Maldives. Formerly, the moratorium was limited to only seven tourism atolls but given the recent expansion of the sector, this has been extended to the entire Maldives.

At a press briefing held last Wednesday, Dr. Ibrahim Didi, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture declared plans to implement a ban on all export of shark products commencing within 1 year from now.

Following several years of research and through the consolidated efforts of the Marine Research Centre (MRC) together with Dr. Charles Anderson, Consultant at the MRC, and projects such as the AEC Project and the Baa Atoll Project, the concern for the survival of the shark species in the Maldives was finally brought to the front.

Recent years have seen a precipitous decline in the number of reef sharks sighted by divers and similar trends have been observed on the exports with revenue from shark products contributing only 0.24% to overall marine exports in 2007.The new regulation has been instigated in light of the importance of sharks to the most significant industries in the Maldives: tourism and the pole and line tuna fishery. A study carried out in 1992 revealed that tourists paid a total of US$ 2.3 million for shark watching dives while in the same year the export of shark products earned a revenue of US$ 0.7 million in comparison. The vulnerable nature of shark stocks to exploitation due to their slow growth, late maturity and low fecundity was also acknowledged. The regulation is also in line with the FAO’s call for shark protection at an international level. 

The challenge now is to find alternative livelihoods for about 200 shark fishermen and middlemen involved in the fishery that would lose their income. MRC is in the process of undertaking such a study to identify alternative livelihoods and compensation mechanisms for the fishers. It is expected that the tourism industry which will reap the benefits from the ban will help compensate those who incur the loss from the decision. 
 
It is hoped that the regulation to ban shark fishing within a 12 mile zone from the outer rim of all atolls under Clause 10 of the Fisheries Law (Law no. 5/87) would see a reversal in the declining shark populations of the Maldives.

photo credits: Cedric Guignard and Hussain Ali

Unofficial Translation of the Announcement

Number: FA-D/29/2009/20

Ban of all shark fishing within 12 mile radius from the outer atoll rim of all Maldivian atolls

Shark species have slow growth, late maturity and low fecundity resulting in wide generation gaps and low regeneration rates in the population. These factors render sharks vulnerable to over-exploitation. Research has shown that there is a threat to shark populations in the Maldives due to their exploitation by the fishery thus having negative impacts on the two main sectors of the Maldivian economy, fisheries and tourism. Hence under the Clause 10 of the Law number 5/87 (Maldives Fisheries Law) the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has declared a ban effective from the 01st of March 2009, on any fishery targeted at killing, capturing or extraction of any shark species inside and within 12 miles from the outer atoll rim of all Maldivian Atolls.

3 March 2009

View the Original Announcement in Divehi

FAST FACTS

Thirty seven species of sharks have been recorded from the Maldives.

In 2008 shark fishing was carried out in 13 islands representing 8 atolls.

Average monthly income to shark fishermen during 2008 was about MVR 5,000 per month

Export of shark products contributed only 0.24% of the total marine export value in 2008.

MINISTRY'S ANNOUNCMENT

View the original announcement of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture in Haveeru Daily. Click here

REPORTS

A Review of the Shark Fishery - 2009 (in Divehi), Marine Research Centre, 33p. Download the PDF copy of report (1.83 MB). Click here

Read the BBC News artcle on the Shark Ban. Maldives moves to protect its sharks (BBC 9 March 2009)