President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has made the decision to drop plans to reopen longline fisheries in the Maldives, following pushback from local fishermen. In a statement on Thursday, the President’s Office said that President Muizzu has made the decision to drop the plan to open longline fisheries, upon reflecting on the concerns shared by the Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union (BKMU) – a union of yellowfin tuna fishermen in the Maldives. It added that the president would meet the BKMU and other key stakeholders to hold further discussions regarding the decision.

“The government is dedicated to listening to the voices of the people and formulating policies that effectively address the concerns of the people and affect positive changes to this country,” reads the statement.

President decides against allowing longline fishing

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided not to allow longline fishing, following concerns raised by fishermen. The President’s Office announced that although the decision to permit longline fishing was initially made on June 24, based on a Cabinet recommendation, the BKMU voiced strong objections. In response to these concerns, President Muizzu has chosen not to implement the Cabinet’s decision.

Following this decision, the President will engage in comprehensive discussions with the BKMU and other relevant authorities to address the issue in detail. The government remains committed to considering public opinion and addressing concerns, aiming to bring positive changes to the nation by carefully implementing its policies.

Gov’t Makes Reversal on Opening Longline Fishery

The President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, has opted not to proceed with the decision to reopen longline fishing in the country, after facing opposition from local fishermen. This decision follows a submission from the BKMU and comes as Muizzu plans to meet with the union and other relevant stakeholders to hold further discussions on the matter. The government says its commitment to listening to public views and incorporating them into policymaking to ensure positive changes for the nation.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, however, had previously proposed new regulations to reinstate longline fishing, a move which has drawn strong opposition from conservation organisations and local fishermen’s unions. The proposal also allows for the bycatch of sharks to be processed in licensed facilities, sparking concern from environmentalists. Longline fishing had been suspended in the Maldives since 2019 due to illegal activities, vessel non-compliance, and data reporting irregularities.

Proponents of the regulations argue that reopening the fishery would diversify the economy and maximise the country’s ocean resources. The draft rules also include provisions for migrant labour, with guidelines aimed at increasing Maldivian employment on vessels over time. The Ministry asserts that managing bycatch, including sharks, is a critical element of the regulations and that the measures will help ensure sustainability. Following criticism, the ministry defended it’s decision in a press conference last week.

The President decides against implementing Cabinet decision to permit line fishing in Maldivian waters

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday made the decision not to open the Maldivian seas to line fishing, following concerns raised by the Maldives Yellowfin Tuna Fishers’ Union. This decision comes after the Cabinet had passed a resolution on 13th June 2024, permitting line fishing in Maldivian waters.

The Union’s concerns were communicated directly to the President, prompting this latest decision. Further meetings are to be held with the Maldives Yellowfin Tuna Fishers’ Union and other relevant bodies and the President, following Thursday’s decision. The Government’s stance is to seek public counsel and shape public policy to alleviate concerns raised by the public and guarantee sustainable and beneficial development to the Maldives.

Longline fishing is a commercial technique that often results in the unintentional capture of sharks, manta rays, birds, and other marine life. We urgently need your support to safeguard our oceans.

We call on the Maldivian Government to refuse any new longline fishing licences that would permit the landing of shark bycatch and the export of shark products. The approval of such licences would have devastating consequences for marine biodiversity, and could strip the Maldives of its status as one of the few global shark sanctuaries — and the only one in the Indian Ocean.

For over a decade, sharks have been protected in the Maldives, but their populations remain fragile. As a key attraction for tourists worldwide, sharks contribute more than US$54 million annually to the Maldivian economy. A decline in shark numbers would not only harm marine ecosystems but also have significant economic repercussions.

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https://only.one/act/against-longlining

What You Need to Know

The Maldives is a global leader in sustainable fishing practices, but recent discussions regarding the potential reopening of longline fishing in the Maldives pose significant social, economic and ecological risks.

We urge the Maldivian government to consider the potential negative impacts of longline fishing:

1. Social and health impacts: Longlining often leads to overfishing, reducing fish populations and affecting the livelihoods of communities that rely on sustainable, one-by-one fishing methods. Longline fishing also requires extended periods at sea, posing safety risks and potential human rights issues such as exploitation and modern slavery, all the while disrupting family and community life. In addition, bycatch often includes species with mercury levels dangerous for human consumption, which if sold and consumed, would pose significant public health risks and increase public health costs for the Maldivian population.

2. Environmental Concerns: Longlines not only increase pressure on already-overfished tuna populations, but kill a wide range of non-target species and vulnerable animals, including sharks, turtles, manta rays, and seabirds, among the Maldives’ most prized tourism assets. Longlines are often lost at sea, continuing to kill animals long after the fishing boats have left. In 2022, it was estimated that 740,000 km (about 460,000 mi) of longlines litter the ocean annually, endangering marine health and biodiversity.

3. Economic losses: Tourism, the Maldives’ main source of income, relies on healthy marine life and habitats. Longlining represents a de facto lifting of the longstanding shark fishing ban that has been instrumental in rebuilding the health of marine life in the Maldives. The potential depletion of shark, whale shark, turtle, manta ray, and seabird populations due to longline bycatch would diminish the Maldives’ appeal as a tourism destination, significantly impacting the national economy.

Continued support for traditional one-by-one fishing practices, such as pole-and-line and handline fishing, is crucial for the prosperity of local fishing communities and the long-term health of marine ecosystems.

We urge the Maldives to maintain and strengthen their commitment to protecting marine biodiversity and job creation for locals through the promotion of sustainable fishing and ecotourism.

Add your name to call on the Maldivian government to refrain from issuing new longline fishing licenses and ensure a healthy and economically viable future for the Maldives’ ocean and its people.

OPEN LETTER to the Government of the Maldives

The Maldives is world renowned as a leader in sustainable fishing practices. Its one-by-one tuna fisheries are beneficial both to Maldivian fishers and the marine ecosystem. For this reason, we would like to express our concern regarding recent discussions about potentially granting licenses for longline fishing in the Maldives and ask the Government to clarify its position regarding restarting the longline fishery. As a consortium of scientists and conservation experts, we would like to highlight the threats and urge you to consider such a decision’s serious ecological, economic and reputational impacts:

1. The Maldives Tuna Fishery Management Plan recognises one-by-one fishing as a traditional Maldivian method, practiced for centuries and an exemplary fishery with minimal environmental and ecological impacts. The pole-and-line fishery, which predominantly catches skipjack tuna, spans several centuries, while the handline fishery which targets large yellowfin tuna for export, commenced in the late 1990s. In contrast, the same document states that longline is not a traditional gear in the Maldives. The longline fishery started in 1985 with licenses given to foreign flagged vessels (operating beyond 75 nm, within the Maldives’ EEZ) until a ban on issuing licenses to foreign vessels was introduced in 2010. Although the longline fishery was reopened in 2011, the government stopped licensing longliners in 2019 due to non-compliance of vessels and irregularities in the data reporting (Maldives Tuna Fisheries Management Plan), highlighting the difficulties in managing this fishery and the associated risks.

2. Longlining can lead to overfishing of target and bycatch species, adding increased pressure on already-overfished tuna populations that local fishers depend on. Longlining can undermine the livelihoods of local communities whose income is derived from traditional fishing practices, thus exacerbating the challenges faced by local communities, a concern expressed by members of the Yellowfin Tuna Fishermen’s Union. Longline fishing can compromise food security due to the depletion of fish stocks that are crucial for the dietary needs of coastal communities. This raises a significant humanitarian concern.

This fishing technique poses significant risks to the traditional pole-and-line and the more recently established handline fishers through market competition, including the ability to undercut fishers’ supply. Meanwhile, one-by-one fishing provides vital employment and preserves marine biodiversity since it is a highly selective fishing technique, only catching targeted species. Historically, vessels that use longlines tend to employ mostly foreign crews, thus competing with local Maldivian fishers who are not trained to use longline vessels. Furthermore, allowing longline fishing would potentially open the door to foreign longline vessels due to the lack of such vessels in Maldives.

3. Longline fishing is associated with high bycatch rates, including endangered species such as sharks, seabirds, turtles, manta rays and even whale sharks. Longline fishing would, therefore, de facto recommence shark fishing in Maldives, with all its concomitant impacts on ocean health and the prosperity of the tourism industry. Bycatch puts pressure on the survival of these already vulnerable populations and would undermine the impressive conservation achievements made in Maldives in the past 15 years. The mortality rate among these non-target species is alarmingly high and exceedingly difficult to mitigate, leading to significant disruptions in marine ecosystems.

Longline fishing is inherently highly unsustainable for most of the bycatch species. The high mortality rates of non-target species like sharks and seabirds would have negative impacts on marine biodiversity. Reintroducing longline fishing would reverse the significant progress made in shark conservation and would undermine the Maldives’ global reputation as a leader in sustainable fishing practices.

In contrast, bycatch rates in pole and line fishing are extremely low, at around 0.65%. Most of these bycatch species are other pelagic fish species (and not the vulnerable megafauna species caught by longlining and so important to tourism) and are sold on the local market or consumed directly by the fishers, which leads to almost zero discards of dead animals at sea. At the same time, handline fishing is known for its low bycatch rates since fishers can immediately release any non-targeted or undersized fish back into the water with a high survival rate.

4. Allowing longline fishing could lead to significant and long-term reputational losses for the Maldives since sharks are an unavoidable and large element of the catch. The depletion of shark populations would impact biodiversity and potentially diminish the Maldives’ attractiveness and reputation as a premier destination for marine tourism, which could significantly reduce tourism revenue. On top of this, healthy shark populations are a feature of healthy coral reefs, which significantly contribute to the national economy.

At the same time, the Maldives has taken a significant step in promoting sustainable coastal fisheries by co-championing the Commonwealth Blue Charter Action Group. With this action, the Maldives aims to advocate for a robust coastal fisheries industry that can withstand the challenges posed by climate change and overfishing. The reopening of longlining would not be aligned with the efforts put forward in recent years.

5. The longline fishery operates over considerably long distances and requires crews to be at sea over extensive periods of time. This can lead to many issues for fishers including poor conditions on board, impacts on communities of fishers being away for long periods, as well as increased health and safety risks. The lack of proper rest, nutrition and hygiene can affect even the hardest-working individuals and have long-term health implications. Also, being away from home for extended periods disrupts family and community ties. Traditional Maldivian fishing methods typically allow fishers to return home more frequently, maintaining social stability and community cohesiveness.

6. Almost 60% of coral reef associated shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, while oceanic shark populations have declined over the past 50 years by 70%; on average, some species have experienced a fall [PDF]. Despite the positive benefits of the shark fishing ban, sharks are still highly vulnerable to overfishing due to their slow growth and low reproductive rates. The sustained recovery of sharks in the Maldives following the implementation of the shark fishing and export ban in 2010-2011 is applauded globally. This recognition of the Maldives’ sustainability leadership brings economic benefits to the country not just from tourism but also, importantly, by ensuring the health of Maldivian ocean, coral reefs and coastal communities. Longline fishing profits are often shortlived due to overfishing and outweighed by the hidden costs of damage to local marine ecosystems. These costs burden governments and drain financial resources that could be invested in more sustainable and lucrative sectors.

7. Longlines are often lost in the ocean and never retrieved, killing animals long after the boats have left. In 2022, it was estimated that 740,000 km (roughly 18.5 times the circumference of the Earth) of longline mainlines littered the ocean each year.

By supporting the traditional one-by-one practices and continuing the restriction on longline fishing, the government can ensure the long-term health of its marine ecosystems and the prosperity of its local fishing communities. We urge the Maldives, whose economy and society are so dependent on its unique and precious marine environment and whose environmental stewardship has to date been exemplary on the world stage, to continue its leadership in supporting its one-by-one fishers by not issuing new longline fishing licenses. We stand ready to support the Maldives in its continued efforts to protect its marine biodiversity and the livelihood of its communities.

Respectfully submitted,
the undersigned