NGOs and Scientists Urge Government to Suspend Gulper Shark Fishing Plans

The undersigned 60 local and international organisations and 50 scientists have urgently called on the Government of the Maldives to halt plans to re-establish a gulper shark fishery.

The organisations sent an open letter to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam, and Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim, citing concerns over the environmental, economic, and legal implications of the proposal.

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The letter highlights that gulper sharks are highly vulnerable to overexploitation due to their slow growth and reproductive rates, as well as the limited availability of suitable habitats in Maldivian waters. Historical records indicate a rapid boom-and-bust cycle for the fishery, with populations previously declining by an estimated 97 per cent.

All three gulper shark species in the Maldives are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The signatories argued that reopening the fishery without stock assessments or precautionary recovery projections would be scientifically unsound and contrary to the Fisheries Act’s requirements for precautionary management and use of the best available science.

Concerns were also raised about the lack of meaningful stakeholder consultations. The letter states that key groups, including local fishers, tourism operators, civil society organisations, and independent scientists, were not adequately consulted, and that no public records exist detailing consultations or socio-economic impact assessments. Independent polling conducted in October 2025 showed that 77 per cent of Maldivians opposed reopening the fishery, and more than 19,000 local and international supporters have signed petitions against it.

The letter further warned of legal and market risks. If gulper sharks are listed on CITES Appendix II at the COP20 meeting in late 2025, exports would require scientifically grounded Non-Detriment Findings and quotas. Without current stock data, obtaining a positive finding for sustainable trade would be unlikely, potentially exposing fishers and exporters to financial losses and regulatory uncertainty. The organisations emphasised that reopening the fishery could undermine the Maldives’ shark sanctuary, a key conservation initiative launched in 2010.

The proposed management measures were also criticised as inadequate, with no phased fishing effort, vessel-level catch limits, or verifiable monitoring systems. The use of vertical bottom-set longline gear could cause significant bycatch of other shark species crucial for tuna fisheries and the tourism industry. Previous attempts at managing similar fisheries have proven difficult to enforce, raising doubts about the feasibility of effective oversight.