Special license issued to allow Gulper Shark Fishing in the Maldives

Despite ongoing opposition, the government has legalized gulper shark fishing and today published the relevant regulations. The government had previously announced its decision to permit gulper shark fishing in the Maldives starting next month.

Consequently, the Ministry of Fisheries has amended and published the regulations governing shark fishing. The third amendment to the "Maldives Fisheries General Regulation" changes the list of species that are prohibited from being caught, taken, or killed within Maldivian waters. The latest change specifies that all shark species except gulper shark remain prohibited. Alongside this amendment, the Ministry of Fisheries has also published the Regulation on Organizing, Operating, and Monitoring Gulper Shark Fishing and the Maldives Gulper Shark Fishery Management Plan.

The new regulation requires the Minister to form a 13-member committee within six months of the regulation coming into effect to advise on the Management Plan. This committee must include representatives from the Fisheries Department (as Chair), the Ministry's Fisheries Compliance Section, the Maldives Marine Research Institute, two representatives each from sharpnose shark fishers, processors/exporters, and the Ministry of Environment, one representative each from the LGA, Police, and Customs, and two locally registered NGOs working on marine conservation and fisheries.

According to the Management Plan, engaging in gulper shark fishing and its trade requires a special license issued by the Ministry, with a maximum of 40 vessels being issued licenses.

The Ministry stated that if applications exceed the allocated number of licenses, applicants will be registered and prioritized based on the order in which they applied. The license will be valid from November through the end of the following October. Fishing will only be permitted in areas outside the atoll lagoons for a non-continuous period of no more than seven months each year, as announced by the Ministry.

Violations of the regulation, specifically fishing in prohibited areas, will result in a fine of MVR 100,000 for the captain and the license holder. Repeat offenses will incur an additional MVR 50,000, with fines reaching up to MVR 400,000.

In the introduction to the Management Plan, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam stated that the decline in shark fisheries and global conservation efforts had led Maldivian fishers to voluntarily stop shark fishing for two years.

However, Shiyam noted that the previous shark fishing practices were not structured or systematic. The Minister emphasized that developing and diversifying the fisheries sector is a priority for President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and one of the ways the government is diversifying the sector is by reviving gulper shark fishing, a practice traditionally undertaken by Maldivians.

Shiyam explained: "the gulper shark Fishery Management Plan has been developed to ensure the gulper shark fishery in the Maldives is conducted in a sustainable, eco-friendly, and fully beneficial manner. Crucially, it is structured to be monitored, involve multiple stakeholders, and ensure that the benefits derived from this common resource, like sharks, do not diminish the benefits received by others relying on it."

Shark fishing was widely practiced in the Maldives until it was completely banned in 2010 under the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

However, in a meeting in August with residents of Hdh. Kulhudhuffushi, historically a major shark fishing hub, President Muizzu announced preparations to re-legalize gulper shark fishing from tomorrow onwards.

This move has prompted local and international conservation NGOs advocating for marine protection to call on the government to reconsider its decision. A petition from these groups argued that maintaining the ban on shark fishing enhances the Maldives' international reputation and strengthens its advocacy position in global forums regarding climate change.

Furthermore, the petition warned that re-legalizing shark fishing poses a negative impact not only on the environment but also on the Maldivian economy and the benefits derived from it, which is heavily reliant on tourism.