Kandooma Thila lies between channel inbetween Kandooma and cocoa in south Male
18/03/2021
A good read about the sad reality in our country
Sharks, Food, Tourists and the Government
As you may have heard, there have been 3 accidents between sharks and humans in the last weeks in the Maldives. Nothing serious, the sharks are all okay.
But, since this is nothing the government wants to see as headlines in the media, it released a statement which this post is about.
Before that, let’s see, what kind of shark feeding activities we find in the Maldives:
1. Feeding from the shore/jetty. For tourists.
Happens in many resorts. Fish waste or other kitchen waste. Nurse sharks, juvenile White and Black Tip reef sharks. As a variation, this also happens from boats, where the paying tourists swim in a group of Nurse sharks while the excursion staff take drone footage and photos. This lead to 2 accidents.
2. Feeding sharks by hand during while diving. For divers.
This method lead to the ban of shark feeding. In the 1980s this was an advertised spectacle, where diving legends like Mr. Voigtmann (Bandos) fed sharks by placing a fish in their mouth. Currently, this is rare to find, but Werner Lau Dive Center Filitheyo advertises luring pelagic Silver Tip sharks, and in a video (that has been deleted, but we have) you can clearly see they handle fish parts while diving. This lead to 1 accident.
3. Luring sharks by throwing fish waste into the area before diving. For divers and snorkellers.
All islands handle their biological waste by discharging it into the closest channel (resorts) or directly in front of the harbour (local islands). This attracts larger species that are known for a wide range of food, e.g. Bull sharks, Tiger sharks. The most famous of these spots is Fuvahmulah, where you go diving near the harbour with Tiger sharks, who munch on Tuna heads brought by the organizers. Velidhu did a night dive right below the waste dhoni to witness Bull sharks. The famous Alimatha night dive with Nurse sharks requires this. And apparently they feed Tiger sharks in other local islands.
4. Attracting Whale sharks with light from Safari boats. For divers and snorkellers.
During the night, many safari vessels shine a light into the water in order to attract plancton and krill, which is the favourite meal of whale sharks. They come to the boat where divers and snorkellers start their observations. Although somehow a mild method, it is of course compromising the shark’s natural behaviour.
Why is this important?
Because the statement from the Ministry of Tourism quotes the „Maldives Recreational Diving Regulation from 2003“. There you find this passage: “As responsible divers, reasonable care should be taken to protect the marine environment, its associated living organisms and their habitats. Divers should be briefed by the dive instructor on responsible behaviour whilst diving, such as buoyancy control, avoiding damage to corals and physical contact with marine animals. Shark feeding is NOT permitted for the divers and the dive centre staff alike.”
1. This is obviously for divers and derives from above mentioned point 2, so that direct feeding by hand (or mouth) is against the regulation. The above mentioned points 1,3,4 would remain untouched. But we had two accidents under point 1.
2. It says „feeding“. I am no lawyer, but throwing fish waste overboard before the dive to lure sharks could be unaffected.
3. Is a „Regulation“ a law? Does it make any conflicting behaviour really illegal? It seems to be something more than just a recommendation, since you find fines, penalties and the loss of license as a possible punishment. But a „regulation“ might be somehow far more weak than a law in terms of prosecution. Will any police care about a regulation? Will any resort be intimidated by a regulation?
4. Why only sharks? Almost every feeding also attracts rays, trevallies and others. A resort could insist it feeds the friendly rays for the tourists … „sorry, but the sharks just keep coming uninvited“.
Since the government obviously wants to prevent conflicts between sharks and tourists, the formulation of a more precise law seems to be important. It should avoid any loopholes and should not concentrate on just sharks. We would appreciate corresponding efforts by the government.
As a tourist, please don’t join any of these activities. Do your bit to respect the environment and the natural habitat of all species. Any feeding activity compromises the ecosystem. Feeding sharks changes their behaviour. To avoid more accidents and to respect the shark’s important role in the ecosystem of the Maldives, any intentional feeding activity should be banned.
Have a nice day
jb
