hunting reef sharks is now prohibition throughout maldivian waters . the official decision has named the indian ocean archipelago the eighth nation in the region to outlaw the practice . shark numbers have plummeted in the maldives in recent hours because a significant percentage of fishermen target them for their lucrative fins , which are used in shark - fin soup , a luxury asian dish . once its spines have been cut off , the shark is often reintroduced to the sea where it suffocates over multiple painful hour .
Due to the decreasing number of sharks, Maldives have banned the hunt of reef sharks.