Shark fishery banned in Maldives

Update: 3rd March 2010 [ The circular has been withdrawn and shark fishery ban would be implemented later]

Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has imposed a total ban on all forms of fishing for any species of sharks in the Maldives waters.The ministry said in a press release, recent researches have revealed that shark finishing had negative impacts on tourism and fishery. The ministry added that sharks played an important role in maintaining the underwater habitat, as they were at the highest level in the food chain.


The press statement also read the population of sharks in Maldives was endangered, as shark species have slow growth, late maturity, and low fecundity. “The researches carried out on the situation of shark fishing in Maldives, have proved that shark species might be completely wiped out from Maldives,” the release added.



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