After extensive lobbying with diving agencies, dive schools the Maldives authority announced protection for sharks in all the tourist atolls in 1998. Shark finning became illegal. This year in April, a few divemasters working on safari boats emailed me that the fishermen were seen fishing for sharks at dive sites such as Fish Head and Maaya Thila. I requested for photographic evidence, which sadly I acquired today. However, due to the expanse of water in the Maldives and Indonesia, effective policing is difficult.
Resources are also limited.
As I have said many times before, to protect sharks, we must first destroy the shark fin trade. Simple economic principle, as long as there is the demand, especially lucrative dollars from traders in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the fishermen will continue to fish for sharks. Likewise, media that claim to be supportive of protecting the ocean environment should regularly publish a black list of restaurants serving shark fin soup. Otherwise, all conservation effort is futile, preaching only to the converts. You know it happens here in the UK too, don't you.