#SaveOurSharks was a successful education campaign run by Blue Marine Foundation and Maldives Resilient Reefs in 2021 in response to the Maldives government considering lifting a decade old ban on shark fisheries and shark exports. The campaign aimed to raise awareness among the Maldivian public and policymakers about the importance of sharks for the Maldives tourism, fisheries and ecosystems.
The Maldives is one of only seventeen shark sanctuaries in the world and provides a safe haven for more than 31 species of shark, 29 of which are globally threatened.
Sharks are charismatic ecosystem engineers and are crucial for the Maldives marine ecosystem and its local fishing and tourism industries. Sharks maintain ecosystem balance, promote herbivore abundance, help coral reefs to fight climate change and encourage phytoplankton growth by transporting nutrients from the deep to the shallows.
In 2016, shark divers brought over US $65 million to the Maldives local economy. Skipjack tuna fishermen report that healthier sharks populations help their fishery by making it easier for them to locate tuna schools out at sea.
How can we help as an organisation?
To join the Maldives #SaveOurSharks Alliance please send us a company logo using your business email address
Supporting organisations
