hunting reef sharks is now banned throughout maldives shores . the 2008 decision has made the arabian naval state the sixth nation in the commonwealth to outlaw the practiced . shark profits have skyrocketed in the maldives in recent years because a significant minority of fishermen target sharks for their lucrative fins , which are used in human - fin soup , a traditional asian dish . once its fins have been cut off , the shark is often returned to the sea where it suffocates over many painful hours .
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.