By Blue Marine Foundation,Contributor,Melissa Cristina Márquez

Copyright forbes

The Gulper Shark is a rare deepwater dogfish with a widespread global distribution. It is taken as bycatch in deepwater fisheries.

When the Maldives declared its waters a shark sanctuary in 2010, it made history. The small island nation banned all shark fishing and the trade of shark fins across its 90,000-square-kilometer exclusive economic zone, protecting more than 30 species and cementing its reputation as a global conservation leader. It was a bold move that transformed the Maldives into one of the safest places in the world for sharks and a sought-after destination spot for divers hoping to see them. But fifteen years later, that legacy is under pressure. The Maldivian government plans to reopen gulper shark fishing on 1 November 2025, a move that would dismantle the country’s sanctuary status and reopen deep-water longline fisheries. A new national poll commissioned by Blue Marine Foundation, in partnership with Maldives Resilient Reefs and Miyaru – Shark Programme, found that more than three-quarters of Maldivians (77%) oppose the plan. They fear the fishery would harm both the marine environment and the economy.

For many, the sanctuary is a symbol of pride. Shark diving alone generates over US$14.4 million in direct revenue here, and an additional US$51.4 million flows into the local economy through dive shops, hotels and tour operations. In contrast, gulper shark fisheries around the world collapse within years of reopening. “When gulper shark fisheries last operated in the Maldives, they collapsed in only a few years, wiping out more than 90 per cent of the population,” says a Only One petition going around. “To date, there is no evidence the species has recovered.” The press release by Blue Marine Foundation added further context, saying, “In the Maldives, populations fell by 97% between 1982 and 2002** and the fishery collapsed in less than a decade.”

Of the four Gulper shark species historically targeted in the Maldives, three are listed as Endangered and one as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Gulper sharks, members of the deep-sea Centrophoridae family, are perfectly adapted to life in some of the ocean’s harshest environments. Yet the very traits that allow them to survive in the deep (i.e., slow growth, late maturity, and low reproductive rates) also make them extremely vulnerable to overfishing. Some gulper species take more than two decades to reach adulthood and give birth to only a single pup every few years, meaning that even minimal fishing pressure can have devastating effects on their populations. A study published in Science highlights just how dire the situation has become: 11 of the 15 known gulper shark species are now considered threatened, making them one of the most imperiled shark groups in existence. According to the non-governmental organization Traffic, in some regions their numbers have dropped by up to 80%, with few safeguards in place to prevent further decline.

Unlike many sharks targeted for their fins or meat, gulpers are hunted for their livers, which are rich in squalene (a compound prized by the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and supplement industries for its moisturizing and stabilizing properties). As global demand for “natural” ingredients in skincare and vaccines has risen, so has the exploitation of deepwater sharks. Once dismissed as unwanted bycatch, gulper sharks are now actively pursued by fisheries around the world. The trade in their liver oil remains largely unregulated, with little monitoring of catch volumes or species-specific quotas. Without stronger management and international cooperation, these slow-reproducing sharks could vanish from the depths long before we fully understand their importance in maintaining ocean ecosystems.

The gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus) is a long and slender dogfish usually about three feet in length generally found in deep, murky waters all around the world. This tertiary consumer feeds on mainly fish such as bony fish, but also cephalopods such as squid and other invertebrates like crustaceans.
OSPAR Commission and Andy Murch

MORE FOR YOU

As top predators, sharks play a crucial role in keeping marine ecosystems balanced. They regulate the populations of mid-level predators and prey species, ensuring that no single group overwhelms the system. Without them, smaller fish and invertebrates can multiply unchecked, consuming the very organisms that coral reefs and fisheries depend on. Over time, this imbalance can cascade through the food web, leading to reduced fish stocks, degraded reefs, and a decline in overall ocean health. In the Maldives, where the ocean underpins nearly every aspect of life — from tourism and trade to nutrition and employment — the stakes are particularly high because many of the country’s most valuable commercial fish species, such as tuna and reef fish, rely on healthy ecosystems maintained by predator-prey dynamics. Deep-water sharks, like the gulper, also connect surface and deep-sea ecosystems through their feeding and movement patterns. By preying on mid-depth species, they help transfer energy between ocean layers, maintaining nutrient flow and productivity across the marine environment. Losing them would mean disrupting this invisible but vital exchange, with consequences that could ripple up to coral reefs and coastal communities.

“Legalizing gulper shark fishing would erase decades of conservation progress in a single stroke and put all deep-diving sharks and rays at risk of bycatch, including many of the species at the heart of the local wildlife tourism industry,” said Ahmed “Ricky” Mohamed, Co-Owner of Oceanic Nomad Divers and Member of the Miyaru – Shark Programme.

Still, public opinion is not monolithic. Beneath the surface of widespread support for conservation lies frustration among small-scale fishers whose livelihoods have become more difficult since the sanctuary’s creation. I covered this for Forbes in 2022. As shark populations recovered, incidents of depredation (when sharks take or damage fish caught by fishers) have increased, cutting into their catches and incomes. For fishers who rely on daily harvests to support their families, this has created real economic strain. In 2022, Dr. Danielle Robinson from Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences had been studying this dynamic, with her research showing how fishers’ relationships with sharks had changed since the sanctuary was established. Between January and April 2019, her team interviewed over 100 fishers across North Malé and Dhaalu Atoll, identifying areas where shark encounters and fishing activity overlapped. Using baited underwater video cameras, they mapped “conflict hotspots” where both sharks and fishers were competing for the same resource (fish).

Her findings revealed the difficult truth that while shark sanctuaries protect biodiversity, they can also create new challenges for people whose livelihoods depend on the same ecosystems. If these frustrations are ignored, public support for conservation can erode over time, creating fertile ground for policy reversals like the one now being considered. That tension is precisely what conservationists are trying to navigate, with many acknowledging the importance of maintaining community trust while also defending the science. Experts and advocates are urging the government to maintain the shark sanctuary while investing in conflict mitigation; solutions could include compensation schemes for fishers affected by depredation, community-led monitoring programs or the development of alternative livelihoods tied to ecotourism and sustainable fisheries. The key is coexistence (finding a way for humans and sharks to share the sea without forcing one to lose for the other to survive). But that balance won’t be easy.

The Maldives is both a conservation success story and a reminder that protecting nature comes with human costs. As climate change and overfishing continue to reshape the Indian Ocean, these challenges will only grow. However, the answer isn’t to undo progress. It’s to adapt, listen, and innovate. The fate of the Maldives’ shark sanctuary now depends on whether its leaders can reconcile these two truths: that sharks are vital to the ocean’s health, and that people are vital to its protection. True conservation isn’t about choosing between them — it’s about ensuring both can thrive.

Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions