Manta rays are rarely fished in the Maldives making this one of the best places in the world to see these magnificent animals, however, the lure of shark fin fishing is unfortunately causing the senseless death of some of these gentle giants. This finned manta was found at 30 metres on a popular dive site, its fins having been cut off while the rest of the body was discarded. The manta was almost definitely killed by local fisherman who use ray fins as bait to catch sharks. The fished sharks are then also finned, discarding the rest of the body overboard just like the manta, while the fins are destined for the shark fin soup industry in Asia. This trade is responsible for the death and removal of over 100 million sharks from our oceans every year. This unsustainable and wasteful trade has caused a global freefall in shark populations over the last few decades and, if it continues, is likely to see sharks become the first major group of organisms to become extinct at the hands of humans.

The Maldives is one of the best places in the world to see manta rays, they occur here in large numbers throughout the year and diving or snorkelling with these gentle giants is one of the highlights for many tourists visiting to this country. Tourism is by far the largest source of revenue for this small island state generating a large percentage of the countries GNP every year. Manta ray diving alone was calculated to generate US$7.8 million annually ten years ago when tourism was even less significant to the economics of the Maldives than is it today. So clearly a live manta is worth much more to this country than a dead one, and the act of killing manta rays to use just their fins as shark bait is senseless both from an environmental and economical point of view.

In 1995 the Maldivian government introduced laws banning the export of all ray products and in 1996 is specifically banned the export of ray skins, which were traditionally used as a canvass on drums. Shark fishing is also banned in the central tourist region of the Maldives, however it's very difficult to regulate these laws and shark fin fishing is likely to be the reason why reef shark sightings in the Maldives have been significantly falling over the last few decades. Maldivian scientists and conservation groups, like ours, are working closely with the Maldivian government to try and find a solution which satisfies both the environmental and economical needs of this developing nation. We would like to see a total ban on the export of shark products which would see an end to the unsustainable fin fishing of sharks and rays in the Maldives.

You can add your concerns by emailing us at: mantarayproject@hotmail.com

This White-tip Reef Shark was killed for its fins. The rest of the animal being thrown back overboard, often while it's still alive. The fins being destined for Asia to make the fasionable "shark fin soup", a cruel, unsustainable, wasteful and luxury product which is responsible for the deaths of 100 million shark every year.

Dozens of shark fins destined for the soup bowl.