Ministry bans reef shark fishing

The ministry of fisheries and agriculture has extended the moratorium on reef shark fishing to cover the territorial waters of the Maldives, as part of a historic move towards a total ban on both reef and oceanic shark hunting.

A ten-year moratorium was imposed in 1998 to cover the seven atolls where tourism had been established on the assumption that many tourists visited the Maldives to see sharks.But with the spread of tourism to almost all atolls in the country, the ministry has decided to expand the ban to encompass all reef shark fishing across the Maldives within a 12 nautical mile radius.

Marie Saleem, a reef ecologist at the marine research centre and one of those at the forefront of the campaign to ban shark hunting, said she was both “excited” and “relieved” to hear that the efforts of those who had been pushing for a ban were “finally fruitful”.Reef shark populations would now need to be monitored as a matter of urgency in order to observe the effectiveness of the ban, she said.Total banAbdullah Nasir, permanent secretary of the fisheries ministry, has said:

“The fisheries law clearly tells us that we can protect any marine species if we feel that it’s threatened or endangered for any reason.”Although oceanic shark fishing is yet to be prohibited by law, Nasir said the ministry was “working towards that” and had set itself a target of banning the export of shark products, both oceanic and reef, within one year.

“We have taken very strong action against the protection of sharks simply because they were protected worldwide and are very important for tourism.” As sharks reproduce at a slow rate their populations cannot handle large-scale fishing pressure.

Speaking to Minivan News in December, Guy Stevens, senior marine biologist at Four Seasons resorts, said: “It takes decades and decades for the shark population to recover, but it doesn’t take long to wipe out.”
NGO Shark Alliance estimates tens of millions of sharks are killed globally each year either as by-catch or intentionally. The lucrative market for shark fins in Asia, where shark-fin soup is considered to be a delicacy, is believed to be increasing each year.

LivelihoodsOne of the hurdles faced by the ministry is the need to find alternative livelihoods for the 100 or so fishermen whose incomes depend on shark fishing.“We need to work with the fishermen to identify alternative livelihoods and to compensate them,” said Marie.“I feel that the tourism industry should play a large role in this change and take the responsibility of compensating the fishermen as they are the ones reaping the benefits out of the loss of fishermen.”

Nasir said the government was in the process of finding other means of income for these fishermen.Robert Tomasetti, a marine biologist at Banyan Tree resort, has said that as shark fishing is not a traditional fishery, the ban should be easier to enforce than the ban on turtle hunting.

“I think that there are only about 100 to 200 shark fishermen and it’s mostly seasonal; other times of the year they will be fishing tuna. Whenever we take something away, we have to provide another source of income.”EnforcementTomasetti stressed the importance of making the leap between “rhetoric and reality”. He said although the move showed live sharks were more valuable for tourists than dead sharks, the ban on sea turtle hunting had proved ineffective. “I think it’s a success but I just hope it will be followed through with action. This government seems to be very environmentally friendly.”One of the ways in which the ban will be enforced is by monitoring exports. But, said Tomasetti, “It’s difficult unless you are a specialist or trained well, to tell the difference between fins of some species and another.”He said it was possible fishermen would hunt reef sharks and palm them off as another species, which is why a total ban was essential.


“Ocean fishery is generally less targeted because of the cost of fuel but maybe they will shift towards these sharks because they can’t fish reef sharks.”The extension to all atolls will help the ministry of fisheries check and control reef shark hunting, said Nasir.

He added the responsibility of enforcement would need to be shared by atoll offices and the police as well as the ministry.The ministry would ensure customs staff received further training so officers could learn to spot different shark-related products, he said."Tremendous"A recent report by Stevens noted nationwide whale shark excursions were responsible for generating around US$10 million annually while shark hunting produces about US$100,000 a year.

Mohamed Sim Ibrahim, the secretary general of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry, said the effect of the ban on the tourism industry would be “tremendous”. The long-term effect on the revival of the shark population would need to be monitored along with its impact on tuna fisheries.Crudely put, observations have shown a positive link between shark and tuna populations, he said.“Instead of reducing these species or hunting them to extinction, we are thinking positively about conserving them and keeping them, adding more value to the tourism experience.

”According to Sim, around 30 per cent of tourists visit the Maldives for its underwater marine life and in addition to manta rays, sharks would be “their number one priority”.

Fishermen demand government takes action

A group of Maldivian fishermen have said they will protest on 6 March if the government does not take action to alleviate the poor fish catch.

But the president of the Fishermen's Union has said its 6,000 members will not be participating, adding, political parties were trying to exploit the problems faced by fishermen for political mileage.The Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), which has announced it will be helping to organise the protest, has said they were approached by fishermen to help them plan the demonstration.
"Last resort"Ali Ibrahim of R.Maakuradhoo, who has been a fisherman for the past eight years, has said he is not interested in going up against the government.

"Protesting is the last resort," he said. "This is purely a problem fishermen face. We want them to fix a reasonable price for buying our fish.

"Ibrahim has said he welcomed any political party that would be willing to help them organise the protest. "We barely make ends meet and we don't have enough money to buy diesel and feed our families." He added crews from at least 40 dhonis would be participating in the protest.

On the Fishermen's Union, he said the organisation did not comprise all fishermen and was mostly made up of buyers of fish.

ObsoleteMohamed Hassan of Gdh.Thinadhoo, a fisherman with 27 years of experience, has said the government should implement measures to address the sharp decline in fish catch."Since last July there has been a steep drop in the number of fish caught by line fishing.

The civil service takes care of government employees but who takes care of us? We are at the mercy of nature. If we return empty-handed our families will suffer." Hassan added the previous government had neglected the fisheries industry as it was only interested in the tourism sector.

"No research has been done on fisheries. The government has not helped us in using new technology and they have not informed us if we need to change our fishing methods."At this rate we will be forced to take up other jobs. A centuries-old tradition is going to become obsolete. Is the country going to watch this happen?"A helping handDirector of MIFCO Ali Faiz has said there is no cause for concern. "We are doing all that is possible to facilitate fishermen. The recent decline in fish has made it difficult for us to honour our commitments in selling as well.

"There has been a seasonal change and no one knows why. When they contact us for help, we do all we can. We use a satellite tracking system device and inform fishermen of good fishing spots. We send our big boats there so that fishermen in dhonis (boat) can feel safe."

Faiz added MIFCO planned to lease out ten dhonis to fishermen on a scheme that would involve them owning the boats in the long run.On the protest, he said, "It's good that people can voice their concerns now."ExploitationPresident of the Fishermen's Union Ibrahim Umar has said political parties have been trying to exploit fishermen for political gain. "The government is barely three months old," he said. "We will give them at least six months.

Even now they have lowered the price of an ice box by Rf500 at our request…but they can still lower the price as they are making a profit.Furthermore, he added Maldives Transport and Contracting Company was selling fishermen engines at a 50 per cent profit even though they were buying them cheaply. "Things need to change. We will not participate in the protest nor discourage it."Fisherman Hassan has said he will not protest but will consider it in the future if the situation does not improve.

"We can't afford to wait around like this. But this government is in its infancy. We are not fools to protest now without giving them more time."

source: www. minivannews.com

Pole and Line Fishery

The Maldivian Skipjack Industry, a 100% pole and line process, is the dominant economic fishery activity in the country, and is also recognized as the most environmentally sustainable skipjack fishery in the world.

The exclusive pole-and-line skipjack fishery of the country, when complemented with the clean clear waters of the Maldives and the quality with which all of Mifco’s production has always been undertaken, has meant that Mifco’s products are demanded by discerning customers, especially in Europe.

While Mifco has been and still continue to process and market large volumes as canned and frozen tuna, Mifco has recently expanded and diversified its’ production base by venturing into fresh chilled tuna, Katuobushi for the Japanese market, cooked loins and other value added products. Indeed, Mifco is committed to be actively engaged in the processing and marketing of the whole spectrum in tuna and other fishery products.

source: http;//mifco.com.mv