The Maldives has banned reef shark fishing and plans a total ban on shark hunting in its seas to protect the species which are a key tourist attraction, from which the archipelago earns much foreign exchange, reports Chandani Jayatilleke.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture said in a statement the new rule completely bans fishing for any species of sharks within 12 miles from the atoll rim of all atolls of the Maldives.
The ban came into effect on 1 March 2009.
Previously, the ban was limited to only seven tourism atolls but given the recent expansion of the sector has been extended to the entire Maldives.
The Maldives plans to ban all shark product exports within a year.
The move responds to concerns about the survival of the shark species in Maldivian waters and hopes to reverse the decline in reef shark populations.
Sharks are hunted to feed a lucrative market for shark fins in Asia, where shark-fin soup is considered a delicacy.
Tourism and fishing are the major industries in the Maldives with fishing providing the most employment and tourism earning the highest foreign exchange.
The ministry said the country earns far more from tourists who pay for shark watching dives than from shark exports.
