Long-term investment in shark sanctuaries

[Extract] Shark sanctuaries, defined as national prohibitions on the commercial fishing and trade of sharks, provide globally important refuges for some shark species. The Maldives has earned international acclaim for being a sanctuary and reaps considerable economic benefit from shark dive tourism. Despite its success in shark conservation, the country may repeal or weaken its sanctuary legislation based on the desire to benefit economically from shark fishing and perceptions of increased conflict between fishers and sharks due to depredation (when sharks take or damage catches). Although recent pandemic-related disruption of tourism likely fueled this initiative, it may have been inevitable given that revenue generated from shark tourism does not directly benefit communities that once fished sharks and now experience depredation.