Maldives' first dedicated shark research centre opens in Fuvahmulah

A Maldivian shark conservation group has opened what it describes as the country's first dedicated Shark Research and Conservation Centre, on the southern atoll island of Fuvahmulah.

The Miyaru Programme, a Maldivian non-governmental organization focused on shark research, opened the center on July 14, the date marked internationally as Shark Awareness Day. The Fuvahmulah City Council co-hosted the opening ceremony.

The center will host educational exhibits and community events aimed at teaching people about sharks in Maldivian waters, according to a statement from the Miyaru Programme on Facebook.

The opening ceremony included a speech by the Fuvahmulah mayor and remarks from Miyaru Programme team members, the organization said. Attendees included students, dive professionals, visitors, and island residents, who shared traditional Maldivian snacks and toured the center's exhibits.

In a Facebook post, the Fuvahmulah City Council said the center would support research, education, and collaboration on shark conservation. The council said Fuvahmulah has built a reputation as one of the world's notable shark diving destinations and pledged continued support for ocean protection efforts.

The center is intended to make shark science more accessible to the public, according to the Miyaru Program, including through opportunities for community members to take part in ongoing research.

Fuvahmulah, known locally as "Shark Island," is one of the few places worldwide where tiger sharks can be reliably observed near shore, drawing divers from around the world. The Miyaru Programme's own materials describe the Maldives as home to more than 30 shark species, several of which are classified as critically endangered, vulnerable, or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Miyaru Programme was founded in January 2023 to conduct interdisciplinary research on shark populations in the Maldives and the wider Indian Ocean, according to the organization's website. Its first research project focused on tiger sharks in Fuvahmulah, including a 2024 study using underwater ultrasound that found signs that Fuvahmulah functions as a gestation ground for pregnant tiger sharks.

Other organizations, including the Fuvahmulah Shark Research Programme and a separate group operating as Shark Research Fuvahmulah, also conduct shark research on the island, though it was not immediately clear whether either operates a comparable dedicated physical facility.

Sharks have been protected from targeted fishing in Maldivian waters since a 2010 ban, though they continue to face pressure from pollution, entanglement, and other human activity, according to the Miyaru Programme.