hunting reef sharks is now banned throughout maldivian waters . the government decision has created the indian navy mainland the first island in the universe to condemn the practice . shark numbers have plummeted in the maldives in recent years because a major share of fishermen target animals for their lucrative fins , which are used in shark - fin soup , a luxury asian dessert . once its fins have been cut off , the swimmer is often return to the seas where it suffocates over many painful hours .
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.