In this column, Callum Roberts, marine biologist and Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter who is currently in the Maldives for a research project, discusses why sharks slowly disappeared from the region's waters and how their numbers eventually stabilised.
When on a research mission in the Maldives to take a closer look at the impact of sea level rises on local coral reefs, Callum Roberts was surprised by the large number of sharks he encountered in the water when – only a few years ago – shark populations were heavily overfished.
“Since then, their numbers have been surging back,” he says.
“I want to tell you about something remarkable going on out there. When I first came to the Maldives in 2010, I heard all of these amazing stories about shark-infested dives and magnificent walls of sharks. Those stories were all tinged with regret because the sharks were no longer there. Like in many parts of the world, they had been caught. This is still going on today.”
But, to turn the fate of sharks, the government of the Maldives passed a special law.
Find out more in his video column below:
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