Discussions underway to legalize shark fishing: Minister Zaha

Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Zaha Waheed has said that discussions are now underway to legalize shark fishing in the Maldives, as it presents a profitable revenue-generation strategy for the state.

Minister Zaha made the remarks at the 14th meeting for the People's Majlis Committee on Economic Affairs, and stated that the fisheries industry is required to generate revenue for the Maldivian government, they were considering legalizing shark fishing as a strategy for improving profits from the fisheries industry. Fisheries Minister Zaha went on to confirm that discussions were being conducted to that effect at the committee meeting, and stated that as very few countries had protected shark populations for conservation, the Maldives could also begin fishing sharks to generate profits.

Researchers from James Cook University conducted a study in 2009 estimated that a single gray reef shark was worth $3,300 a year to the Maldivian tourism industry, compared with the one-time value of $32 that a fisherman would get from the same shark. Over a decade down the line, it is only understandable that the value of those "shark sightings" would have skyrocketed even further for tourists as shark populations continue to decline across the world.

In addition to this, studies have proved that sharks as apex predators are essential to maintain healthy ocean ecosystems, as they regulate species abundance, distribution and diversity, which in turn can impact the health of marine habitats. Additionally, they provide essential food sources for scavengers and remove the sick and weak from populations of prey species.

Citizens have taken to social media to protest Minister Zaha's comments in light of these findings, noting that no matter how well managed, supervised or limited the Fisheries Ministry would make the process, legalizing shark fishing in the Maldives would see the species exploited for game fishing, and even mutilated with just their fins cut off as they are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world.

In January this year, Maldives Customs Services on Sunday seized a total of 21 boxes containing 429kg of shark fins which were about to be illegally exported via Velana International Airport (VIA). On Monday this week, four people were detained near ADh. Mandhoo for shark fishing.

Maldives declared a total ban on shark fisheries within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone in 2010 following a decline in shark populations and sightings in the region. In 2011, the Ministry of Housing and Environment announced a ban on the capture, keeping, trade and harming of sharks under the Environment Protection and Preservation Act (EPPA). By law, the responsibility for regulating the trade of any commodity and implementing trade bans on commodities comes under the mandate of the Ministry of Economic Development under the Maldives Export and Import Law.