hunting by sharks is now banned across maldivian waters . the cabinet control has made the indian ocean community the first kingdom in the region to outlaw the practice . fish numbers have plummeted in the maldives in recent years because a large minority of fishermen target sharks for their lucrative fins , which are used in sharks - fin soup , a traditional english stew . once its fins have been cutting off , the shark is often returned to the sea when it suffocates over the painful years .
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.