Court rejects second submission of case seeking to stop gulper shark fishing

High Court has once again rejected the petition seeking to overturn the government’s decision to lift the ban on gulper shark fishing, a species currently at risk of extinction.

The Maldives has had a blanket ban on shark fishing since 2010. But in November 2025, the government partially lifted this ban to allow gulper shark fishing.

The petition was filed with the High Court by environmental activists and leading figures from ‘Save Maldives Campaign’, Humaidha Abdul Ghafoor and Mohaned Sineen.

High Court first dismissed the petition on December 18 of last year. Today marks its second rejection. The Court first rejected the petition citing that it could not be accepted as a constitutional case over the failure to establish whether the plan to allow gulper shark fishing mentioned in their petition was a law or regulation. This time, it was rejected citing lack of details.

According to the regulation on management of gulper shark fishery published by the Fisheries Ministry, it will only be allowed from December 1 to June 30 each year, with the license for gulper shark fisheries limited to 40 fishing vessels.

The regulation prescribes fines of up to MVR 400,000 for violations, and fines of up to MVR 100,000 for fishing any other shark species.

Historically, shark fishing in the Maldives included three types: reef shark fishing, oceanic shark fishing, and gulper shark fishing. It was later banned after research revealed a significant decline in shark populations in Maldivian waters.

In recent years, however, local fishermen have raised concerns about what they believe is a growing shark population.

While the government expects notable economic gains from allowing gulper shark fishing, a resolution has been submitted to the Parliament opposing the decision. Critics argue that permitting such fishing could negatively impact both the fishing and tourism sectors and damage the Maldives’ global reputation for environmental protection.

Additionally, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which the Maldives is a party, the gulper shark is classified as a species threatened with extinction and is set to be listed under Appendix II of the convention.