The Maldives has declared its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 90,000 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean, as a shark sanctuary free from all shark fishing and also banned all imports and exports of shark fins.
The Maldives is home to more than 30 shark species, including the scalloped hammerhead, the most prominent shark to be considered for protection at the upcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
“The Maldives were one of the first countries to recognise that sharks were a key reason tourists went to dive there,” said Matt Rand, director of Global Shark Conservation for the Pew Environment Group. “This announcement protects the Maldives’ tourism industry – the largest segment of their economy – from the ravages of the shark fin trade. It is a bold and farsighted move on the part of the government of the Maldives.”
