Shark watch programme, Maldives - Things you did not know

If you look at the history of the Maldives, you will notice that it was not always the tourist hub it is now. There was a time when the place was nothing more than a collection of islands where the people were largely self-sufficient. During those times, shark fishery was an actual industry, albeit a small-scale traditional art that was often passed down from one generation to the next. The sharks were hunted not for the meat or for the skin, but for the production of crude shark liver oil, which was one of the key elements required to maintain wooden boats. It was a needs-based industry where very few sharks had to be killed to supply enough oil for a large number of boats.

As time passed though, motorized boats were introduced which meant that there was no need for shark hunting. However, instead of dying away, the industry took on a new form, one of exporting shark meat. This was the beginning of the end, in a way. Aided by developed methods of fishing and equipment, large-scale hunting of sharks began. They hunted both reef sharks and oceanic sharks. The entire shark was used for export purposes, from tail to fins: shark meat and fins were dried and sent to markets in Southeast Asia; shark jaws became souvenirs. In the late 1980s, you could identify three different types of shark fishers, as the industry had developed to that extent.

However, this also gave rise to constant conflict between the tourist industry and the export industries. It is this conflict that resulted in the ultimate banning of shark fishing. In 2008, it was reported that the number of reef shark sightings had drastically reduced to the point its impact on tourism could not be ignored. Therefore, a partial ban on shark fishing was enacted by the government in 2009, and a blanket ban was issued in 2010.

The Maldives Sharkwatch program came into existence in 2009. It was a part of the Darwin Reef Fish project and had the objective of simply collecting baseline data on the sharks in the Maldives. They wanted to collect data on the abundance of the reef sharks at the time of the ban being implemented. Through the years, though, it evolved into a program with a larger scope. Not only does it identify the places where sharks are most likely to be, but it is also now considered a citizen-science program where data collection is intricately woven into the tourist industry.

If you happen to visit Milaidhoo Island Maldives, you will be able to play the role of a marine biologist, diving through their various underwater conservation projects. Similarly, if you go diving at any Maldives beach resort, then observe sharks during your dive, the information that you provide becomes a part of the research that has been carried out by the Sharkwatch program for years. In essence, you are being a part of a massive conservation project as well as research.