In the wake of speculation referring to the chance of the Maldivian govt lifting the ban on shark fishing in the country’s waters, a expansive alternative of diving and environmental groups be pleased called on the governmentto continue to place into effect the fine protections of sharks.
In a assertion topic this week, PADI stated its workers had met with Maldivian Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture Zaha Waheed to present a enhance to the sector of the dive community referring to the intense role sharks play in dive tourism.
PADI stated Waheed had given assurances that no such lifting of the ban on shark fishing would happen.
Per Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide:
“Sharks are a dominant force in dive tourism in the Maldives. We congratulate the Maldives’s commitment to their ongoing protection. The Maldives continues to lead by example, among the many most revolutionary countries on this extreme topic.”
There are currently 17 shark sanctuaries in the sector; the first was established in Palau in 2009 and others in sleek dive locations including French Polynesia, Honduras, The Bahamas and several others in the Caribbean. The Maldives shark sanctuary was established in 2010 and covers 916,000 square kilometers (353,000 square miles).
PADI illustrious in its assertion that tourism accounts for an estimated 25 p.c of The Maldives’ GDP (in step with 2014 figures), with diving and snorkeling being the most sleek tourism process.
Earlier than The Maldives sanctuary was fashioned, shark fishing was charge US$700,000 (~581,350 Euros) to the country’s financial system, when compared to $2.3 million (1.9 million Euros) from shark tourism, in step with PADI. In 2018, the shark sanctuary increased dive-outing query in the Maldives by 15 p.c, elevating an additional $6 million (~4.98 million Euros).
“Individual research signifies that any re-opening of a Maldives shark fishery might maybe well well doubtlessly decrease dive tourism query by over 50 p.c, which might maybe well well quit in a loss of US$24 million.”
