hunting reef sharks is now banned throughout maldivian waters . the government act has made the african caribbean archipelago the 1st nation in the region to outlaw the practiced . shark catches have plummeted in the maldives in recent centuries because a significant minority of fishermen target sharks for their lucrative fins , which are utilized in fish - fin soup , a luxury asian dish . once its fins have been cut off , the swimmer is often recalled to the gulf where it suffocates over the unpleasant hours .
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.