Maldives Shark Sanctuary vs Military Coup 2012

In 2010 the Maldives government was lauded for declaring 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.

Today the Maldives is in the middle of what many are describing as a full blown military coup.

The first very real test of the global shark sanctuary effort will take place in the Maldives over the next two years.

For a look at how this might play out we went in search of a website that would give us the, 'Maldives political landscape in a nutshell' and found it here at the Institute of Development Studies:

"After the 2004 Tsunami which devastated the Maldives, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States offered reconstruction funds and support to educate imams and teachers. This was coupled with the introduction of conservative Wahabi and Salaist interpretations of Islam. Since then, public flogging of women for alleged offenses has re-occurred, and more conservative dress and practices are on the rise. The Islamic political party tabled a law banning massage and alcohol on the tourist islands; although this decision was quickly repealed, since it was not in the interest of tourism industry elites."

There's a lot going on in the Maldives these days, suffice to say that sharks and shark conservation might not be a top priority.

Stay tuned.

Maldives government to initiate fund for shark fishermen

Once again showing global leadership towards the ongoing shark fin crisis, the Maldives has initiated funding for shark fishermen in tandem with NGO's and shark tourism efforts.

We covered the need for new conservation ideas for the global shark fin trade last week.

Press Release

The government has decided to inaugurate a fund on June 8 to encourage families depended on shark fishing find alternative livelihoods.

In a press release, Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture said experts had advised the government that the population of sharks might decrease in Maldivian waters as shark species have slow growth, late maturity, and low fecundity. Research has also shown that shark fishing has negative impacts on tourism and fishery, the two main economic activities in the Maldives, the press statement added.

Fisheries Ministry stressed that the cabinet, on March 25, decided to impose a total ban on trade and export of sharks and shark products within the Maldives industrial zone.

“This ministry is continuously working to facilitate alternative livelihoods to those who were depended on shark fishing. In this regard, it has been decided to inaugurate a fund on this year’s World Oceans Day in collaboration with the parties involved in tourism sector and NGOs, to assist shark fishermen,” the statement read.

www.haveeru.com.mv

Maldives Whale Sharks - Conservation

Found on the Maldives blog this morning, more good industry news:

In another step towards becoming environment-friendly, the Maldivian government unveiled plans yesterday to designate three whale shark habitats in the Maldives as protected areas.

Protected areas are allocated Baa atoll Hanifaru, Baa atoll An'gafaru and Alif Dhaal atoll Maamigili as protected areas to commemorate World Environment Day and World Ocean Day on the 5 and 8 June respectively.

"We welcome the whale shark sanctuaries," said Ali Rilwan, executive director of environment NGO Bluepeace today. "We don't need paper parks, we need monitoring and more research in these areas." In March, the ministry of fisheries and agricultures extended the moratorium on reef shark fishing to cover the whole of the Maldives as part of a move towards a total ban on both reef and oceanic shark hunting.The main objective of the project was to protect the areas mega fauna, namely whale sharks, Manta rays.

Divided into various zones, in which different activities will be permitted. While diving and snorkeling would still be allowed, a set of guidelines would be provided to instruct on how to deal with encounters with whale sharks.

Further, boats including Liveaboards and dive boats will be subject to speed limits in certain areas, he said.

The reaction of local residents was "very positive". "They actively wanted this to happen and this won't impact any of their activities so they have nothing to lose from this," "That's the findings of the consultation."

The decision would have a "global significance" and the areas were among the few in the world where whale sharks could be spotted.

The polka-dotted whale shark is the largest fish on the planet, but very little is known about their existence, according to the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme's website.

While it is known they swim potentially vast distances across the ocean, eating only plankton, tiny fish and squid, how long they live or where they reproduce remains a mystery.

It was crucial to establish a set of guidelines to counter the impact that the growth of tourism would have on whale sharks in future years.
At present, it is estimated that whale shark excursions generate US$10 million annually.

According to researchers Maldives have spotted 115 whale sharks, although the real number was probably higher.

"Some of these areas are important feeding grounds," "And out of all of them, there are only two females, so the animals are only spending part of their lives here."

The designated areas would also protect other animal species such as manta rays in Hanifaru and Gray reef sharks and White tips reef sharks in Baa Atoll An'gafaru.

Sharks - Maldives Eco Excellence

The following press release came in from Ahmed Adam, President's Office, Maldives this week. When sharks get a unique break like this, and when governments like the Maldives see the ongoing value of shark tourism enough to create a nation wide shark haven, we do not mind posting the good news twice:

Maldives Imposes Shark Hunting Ban

The Maldives imposed today a total ban on reef shark hunting.The government said the ban will help restore shark numbers, which have fallen in recent years due to hunting.The Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Ibrahim Didi, said the ban would make the Maldives a ‘shark safe haven.’ “The protection measures announced today should lead to a recovery in shark numbers, providing a boon for both the environment and the tourism industry,” the Minister said.The Maldives’ pristine coral reefs are home to large populations of reef sharks, Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, turtles and exotic fish, making the country one of the world’s top diving destinations.

“Today, we announced a complete ban on all shark hunting within the Maldives’ atolls and lagoons and in the waters up to 12 miles off the Maldivian atoll coast. This will protect all types of reef sharks in the Maldives,” the Minister said.“Within 365 days, we will extend the ban to all of the country’s territorial waters. This will also protect oceanic sharks and will pave the way to a complete ban on the export of all shark products,” he added. The Ministry of Fisheries says it is working with all stakeholders to find alternative livelihoods for fishermen who derive their income from shark hunting.

"In a news conference held in Male’, Dr., State Minister for the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, said that the ministry will formulate a program for the existing shark fisherman to change into alternative income generating areas.The Maldives’ newly-elected president, Mohamed "Nasheed, said he was “delighted” with the ban. “The ban will restore the Maldives’ shark populations and, in doing so, help maintain our pristine marine environment,” the President said.“The shark hunting ban will also help the tourism industry. More divers and snorkelers will now visit the Maldives to observe these beautiful sea creatures.

“In the 1990s, our turtle population declined. But greater public awareness about the need to protect turtles led to numbers recovering. I hope our sharks will witness a similar recovery,” President Nasheed added. "The Maldives attracts 600,000 tourists per year. Tourism accounts for 28% of the country’s GDP Fishing is the Maldives’ second biggest industry after tourism. Only 180 of the country’s 15,000 fishermen are believed to hunt sharks.

There is no domestic market for shark products in the Maldives. Sharks caught in the Maldives are exported abroad, predominantly to place East Asia In 2007, shark products accounted for just 0.2% of the country’s total marine exports.Maldivian reef sharks are considered harmless to humans.

For more information about the shark hunting ban, please contact Dr.Abdulla Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, on 00960 7788197 or at Abdulla.naseer@fishagri.gov.mv