Hunting reef sharks is now banned throughout Maldivian waters. The government decision has made the Indian Ocean archipelago the first nation in the region to outlaw the practice. Shark numbers have plummeted in the Maldives in recent years because a significant minority of fishermen target sharks for their lucrative fins, which are used in shark-fin soup, a luxury Asian dish. Once its fins have been cut off, the shark is often returned to the sea where it suffocates over many painful hours.
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.