High Court case seeks to block controversial gulper shark fishery
The Maldives authorized Gulper Shark fishing on November 1 despite 77 percent public opposition and a 97% population decline between 1982 and 2002
The Gulper Shark belongs to the family Centrophoridae also called “Dogfish”
A constitutional case has been filed at the High Court seeking to halt the Gulper Shark fishery, following the government’s decision to authorize a fishery that had previously been banned in the Maldives.
According to the High Court registry, the case against the state was filed by environmental activists Humaidha Abdul Ghafoor of H. Shady Corner and Mohamed Sinan of M. Maamuli.
The case was submitted on Tuesday, though the High Court has not yet decided whether it will accept it.
The government’s decision to permit the Gulper Shark fishery came shortly before the Maldives participated in passing a resolution to restrict international trade involving 70 species of sharks and rays, including the Gulper Shark.
Member states of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have listed all species of Requiem sharks and Manta rays under Appendix I, granting the highest level of protection and prohibiting all international trade in these species and their products.
The CITES decision is expected to significantly hinder the international trade of Gulper Sharks, which the Maldives authorized on November 1.
In the CITES meeting held last November, the Gulper Shark was approved for inclusion in Appendix II of the convention.
A national survey conducted prior to the government’s decision to reopen the fishery showed widespread public opposition to resuming Gulper Shark fishing. Conducted by the Blue Marine Foundation, Maldives Resilient Reefs and the Maldivian Shark Program, the survey found that 77 percent of participants opposed restarting the fishery.
Shark fishing was completely banned in the Maldives in 2010 and resuming it would end the country’s status as a shark sanctuary.
The Gulper Shark is a species of dogfish, typically about 90 centimeters (three feet) long. They are primarily targeted for their livers, which contain high concentrations of squalene, a substance widely used in the cosmetics industry and in certain medicinal products.
A 2024 report revealed that the Gulper Shark population in Maldivian waters declined by 97 percent between 1982 and 2002.
By 1994, the fishery had nearly collapsed due to the drastic fall in population.
The three organizations behind the national survey have called on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to uphold the Maldives’ international commitments under CITES and to maintain the country’s status as a shark sanctuary.
