hunting coral sharks is now banned throughout maldivian waters . the governmental decision has made the indian ocean archipelago the first island in the region to outlaw the game . shark populations have risen in the country in recent cycles because a large minority of fishermen target sharks for their delicious skins , which are used in human - fin soup , a luxury asian dish . once its fins have been cut off , the shark is often returned to the sea where it suffocates over many painful years .
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.