In Maldives, shark fishing has given rise to conflicts with the tourism industry and the tuna pole and line industry, the two major income earners in the country. In an attempt to reduce these conflicts and also protect the shark resources, the Government of Maldives (Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture) has imposed ban on shark fishing from early 2010. In an attempt to further promote conservation of sharks, the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation and the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Government of Maldives, on 10 August 2009, conducted an art competition for school students from nearby Islands of Kuldhuffushi, Maldives. These Islands were once famous for the shark fishery in Maldives.