Kategorie: News
Open letter of the ocean and marine conservation organization Sharkproject to the President of the Maldives
With an open letter the internationally active ocean and marine conservation organization Sharkproject addresses the president and all members of the government of the Republic of Maldives.
In the letter, which is sent directly to the President and the diplomatic missions of the Maldives, Sharkproject is extremely concerned that members of the government of the Republic of Maldives are publicly considering abandoning the ban on trade in shark products and a 90,000 km2 shark protection zone that has been in place for the entire island nation since 2010. (See also News article 27th, March)
The conservation organization is calling on the President of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and all public institutions of the island nation to continue to ensure, increase control and even expand the protection of sharks threatened with extinction.
In addition Alexander Smolinsky, president of Sharkproject International: "We must not allow that for short-term and purely commercial interests the fishing on the sharks threatened with extinction worldwide on the Maldives is allowed again."
There have already been regular violations of the existing fishing ban in the Maldives. "If the fishing ban on sharks is now officially questioned or abolished, not only the sharks but the entire underwater world and the biological balance on the reefs of the Maldives will be in danger. This would also have a direct impact on tourism revenues, which are so important for the Maldives," Smolinsky said.
Maldives Fisheries Minister Zaha Waheed recently publicly stated that there are intense talks in the Maldives to lift the fishing ban on sharks for commercial reasons (we reported: Petition against shark fishing)
This has caused concern and outrage among environmental organizations worldwide, as well as tourism operators. After all, sharks are not only essential for the biodiversity of the seas and the health of the reefs, the lively underwater landscape is also one of the Maldives' crowd pullers. Tourism is the island nation's main source of income, accounting for about 60 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Smolinsky: "Every living shark brings the Maldives demonstrably a multiple in incomes than a dead one. Abolishing the fishing ban would therefore not only be a great harm to the animals and the environment - for the Maldives it would also be economic mischief."
An online petition to the Maldivian government supported by leading ocean and marine conservation organizations and tourism platforms has already found thousands of supporters worldwide within a few hours and can still be signed here: http://chng.it/yrrfV7NfXr
"We call on politicians as well as all relevant institutions and committed individuals worldwide to influence the Maldivian Ministry of Fisheries directly and indirectly through embassies, consulates and tourism offices to ensure that shark conservation in the Maldives is expanded and not abolished," Smolinsky concluded.