Fuvahmulah emerges as critical global hotspot for tiger shark conservation and reproductive activity

Fuvahmulah Island in the Maldives has been identified as home to the largest documented aggregation of tiger sharks in the world, according to a new study published on Monday in Nature.com.

Over a six-year period, researchers, led by Lennart Vossgaetter from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany, identified 239 individual tiger sharks using non-invasive photo identification methods. This is the largest known number of individual tiger sharks ever recorded in one geographically restricted area.  

The research documented that tiger sharks around Fuvahmulah show strong site fidelity, particularly adult females, which remain near the island for extended periods during gestation. The waters off Fuvahmulah serve as a critical habitat for the sharks, providing ideal conditions for reproduction, including warm waters and a steady supply of food from discarded fish waste.

The study emphasised that Fuvahmulah is a crucial site for tiger shark conservation in the Indian Ocean, housing the world’s largest documented aggregation. The protected status of sharks within Maldivian waters makes the island a “bright spot” for their conservation. Researchers believe the island’s waters play a critical role in supporting female tiger sharks during their gestation period, offering an essential refuge that helps sustain the population.

However, the researchers highlighted the need for further investigation into the geographic connectivity of Fuvahmulah's tiger sharks. Telemetry studies could reveal whether the sharks spend most of their time within the protected waters of the Maldives shark sanctuary or travel beyond its boundaries. Such data is crucial to better understand the sharks' movements and improve conservation efforts.

The study also raised concerns about the lack of formal regulation surrounding shark tourism in the Maldives, which has become a significant economic driver for local communities. The researchers noted that shark diving at sites like Fuvahmulah's "Tiger Harbour" is currently unregulated, with no official guidelines governing the provisioning of sharks for tourism purposes. Codes of conduct at shark diving sites are voluntary and specific to individual dive centres.

Drawing from successful management strategies at other shark diving destinations, such as locally managed marine protected areas (MPAs) in Fiji, the researchers recommended the development of formal regulations to manage shark provisioning and diving practices in Fuvahmulah. They argued that sustainable practices are essential to ensure the long-term conservation of tiger sharks and the economic benefits of shark tourism.

To minimise future conflicts between tourism and conservation, the study advocates for the incorporation of stakeholder interests into local management plans, ensuring that sustainable ecotourism practices are followed in one of the world’s largest shark sanctuaries.