Some biological characteristics, such as the slow growth, and long time to mature, makes the whale shark vulnerable to overfishing. These characteristics also suggest that populations are slow to recover from any overfishing. The whale shark is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The whale shark is listed by the AFS (American Fisheries Society) as "Conservation dependent" (meaning that the whale shark's population has reduced but it is recovering under conservation plans) in both the Atlantic waters of the U.S.A, and the Gulf of Mexico. However, it is considered not at risk in the Gulf of California. In the Maldives and Philippines there has been a ban on the fishing of whale sharks. This protection was introduced because of the serious impact that the fisheries may be making on whale shark numbers. The predictable occurrence of whale sharks in a few areas, such as western Australia, has led to the development of an expanding tourism industry. In this area the whale shark is a protected species and its tourism has been managed through a controlled system, including the licensing of a limited number of operators tours. Also, divers have been stopped from riding, chasing, or harassing any marine animal in any way, including whale sharks. Recently, some studies made on the Ningaloo Reef's whale sharks provided information that regular diving is a normal behaviour of these sharks, and there is no avoidance reaction during contact with humans.