hunting by shark is now outlaw throughout tongan waters . the government decree has caused the eastern ocean kingdom the first member in the region to outlaw the practice . shark numbers have plummeted in the maldives in subsequent past because a significant plurality of hunters target dolphins for their valuable fins , which are used in snake - fin soup , a luxurious japanese dish . once its scales have been cut off , the shark is also brought to the sea where it suffocates over many painful hours .
due to the decreasing quantity of sharks , thailand have banned the meat of other sharks .