Maldives Shark Watch Program : Maldives  

Maldives Shark Watch Program - Travel guide

Maldives

Shark Watch Program

Maldives - Shark Watch Program

What is Maldives Shark Watch Program ?

Shark watch is a program organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives,to create awareness onthe importance of shark species for the tourism industry. The program will try to identify the interest of the tourists visiting Maldives on sharks, their sighting information and general species types through sighting cards collected from tourist resorts, dive centres and live-aboard vessels. Additionally this program will also organize supporting awareness programs among the general public and will be implemented with the support from the Marine Research Centre Maldives, the dive centres and the tourism industry.

Why a Maldives Shark Watch Program ?

The seasonal currents from both sides of Maldives, during thetwo monsoons, bring up the nutrient rich water up along Maldivian waters where life thrives. Maldives has a vast number of coral reefs which are full of life. Among these thousands, maybe millions of life forms in the Maldivian reefs, one of the most fascinating are the graceful friendly Maldivian sharks, known as the “Patrollers” of the reefs. There are 37 species of shark found in Maldives, and many more are expected to occur.

Scuba divers, snorkellers and even the general tourist visiting Maldives observe sharks from their water bungalows or over the jetties and are thrilled to watch these gracious fish. A total of 37 species of sharks have been recorded in the Maldives.

However, in recent years there has been an increased concern over the exploitation and targeting of sharks for their fins as a delicacy for the East Asian markets. Although this concern remains, it is difficult to put an estimate on the shark populations and the associated impacts, just like many other reef fish species.

Hence, to sustain shark populations for conservation and sustainable fisheries, the government of Maldives has undertaken several steps in the past to facilitate conservation and sustainable fisheries; one is the establishment of a no shark fishing zone in the main tourism developed 7 atolls since September 1998; another important development is the establishment of protected dive sites since June 1995. There are currently 25 popular dive sites declared protected. Whale shark is among some of the marine protected species in the Maldives. These measures have been successful only to a certain extent due to lack of resources for monitoring, management and enforcement; and more often due to lack of awareness on the real value of the living shark resources for tourism.

Your Participation in the program

We welcome participation and contributions to the program. Please send your feedback & inquiries to:

Sharkwatch Programme
Environment Section
Ministry of Tourism
1st Fl. Ghazee Bldg.
Ameer Ahmed Magu
Male’ 20-05
Republic of Maldives
Tel: (960) 32 32 24
Fax: (960) 32 25 12
Email: info@visitmaldives.com
Maldives SHARKWATCH PROGRAM

Aim:
Create awareness on the importance of conservation of sharks in the Maldives.

Specific Objectives:

• Promote and market Maldives as a shark friendly marine eco-destination
• Involve tourists and public to create a positive image of Maldives
• Monitor activities and interest for shark watching, and generate a quantitative perspective on shark populations for sustaining marine tourism in the Maldives.
• Minimize threats to shark populations through awareness and voluntary initiative.

Organizer:
Ministry of Tourism

Duration

The program will be initially run for a year and depending on the popularity and success the program may be extended to additional years.