Whale Shark Protection Program in Maldives faces criticism

Posted by admin on Feb 8th, 2010 home title

High voltage debate is brewing in Maldives about the endangered species of Whale sharks. Yes, controversy seems to have become the middle name of the conservation efforts taken to protect these sharks in Maldivian waters. These sharks play an important role in maintaining the population balance of the marine ecosystem but the recent efforts to tag them have enraged the local divers.

The local divers have raised eyebrows about faulty whale shark research program being conducted by a UK charity named Maldives Whale Shark Research program (MWSRP). The divers say tagging of whale shark in a Marine protected area near Maamigili Island in South Ari Atoll is causing whale sharks to abandon the area. A diver with 10 years of experience in that area emphasized that few years back the site was well frequented with sharks but now they are hardly seen anywhere due to tagging practices.

Snowballed into controversy, the charity, MWSRP on the other hand was prompt to react firmly. Counteracting the claims, they pointed out that it is the unregulated tourism and unrestricted diving boats visiting the area that has wrecked havoc to the whale shark hotspot.

However, local divers are having a different opinion. They believe the tagging of whale sharks is driving the sharks away. They also raised questions about the methodology used in tagging and claimed that the use of spear guns by the research team is harming the whale sharks.

Divers Association of Maldives (DAM) has come forward to raise the concerns of Maldivian divers with the relevant government authorities. Zoona Naseem, the President of DAM, has declared that the organization was not opposed to whale shark research but their main concerns were the methodology used in tagging, lack of government regulation and monitoring of the research. The main concern of the divers is the decreasing number of whale sharks frequenting the Marine Protected Area.