Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ahmed Shiyam has said that expanding the Maldives’ blue economy is important to gain control or power in determining prices in the global fish market. The Minister said this while speaking at a consultative meeting held to promote the blue economy in the Maldivian fishing industry.
Addressing the participants at this consultative meeting, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ahmed Shiyam said that the Maldives is conducting fishing that is friendly to marine life. The Minister also noted that when looking at the environmentally friendly and sustainable pole-and-line fishing that Maldivians have been doing for centuries, such fishing is most extensively practiced in the Maldives today.
The Minister said that although pole-and-line fishing is widely practiced in the Maldives, the country does not have the power to sell and set prices for fish caught by pole-and-line fishing in the global market, and that competing countries are reaping the benefits of this. Therefore, the Minister said that it is important to introduce the blue economy to the Maldivian fishing industry to reduce such challenges, and that Maldivian fishermen are already benefiting from this.
“As a result of this project, by introducing tuna rings, implementing the ikejime method, increasing onboard handling of yellowfin tuna, quality and price have improved. In addition, the introduction of modified bait tanks has yielded promising results in improving bait resources. The project is also being carried out in collaboration with island nations to help small producers bring their products to market,” said Minister Ahmed Shiyam. The Minister said that under this project, they will soon open up the design of vessels for sustainable fishing. The Minister also said that financial assistance has been arranged to install the necessary resources on fishing boats to keep bait for longer periods on the vessel.
The blue economy, which is an important policy of the government, is a policy formulated to prioritize the sustainable use of marine natural resources and ecosystems to promote economic growth, improve living conditions, and increase employment. The government is working on many initiatives to promote the blue economy in the Maldivian fishing industry. In this regard, the Ministry of Fisheries is currently holding consultations on what can be done to sustainably use marine resources. In addition to government ministries and agencies, companies working in the fishing industry have also participated in these consultative meetings.
