The government of the Maldives has decided to stick with its 2019 ban on issuing licenses for longline fishing in waters surrounding the nation after recently weighing whether to reopen the practice.
The country's annoument it might reopen longline fishing was met with backlash from conservation groups, which claimed the practice would roll back ecological and reputational progress the country had made.
The Yellowfin Tuna Fishers’ Union, along with ocean conservation organizations Maldives Ocean Alliance and Only One, created a joint petition on the issue that received over 30,000 signatures, including from prominent scientists, politicians, and conservation leaders. Following the most recent news, the groups celebrated the reaffirmed ban.
“The Maldives government’s decision to uphold the ban on longline fishing is a testament to the power of community-driven advocacy and the strength of collective voices uniting for change,” Only One Campaign Manager Carrie Hellinger said. “We are pleased that the government responded swiftly to the urgent call to prioritize the long-term health of the ocean and preserve our precious marine ecosystems for future generations.”
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said his government is committed to future meetings with the Maldives Yellowfin Tuna Fishers' Union and other relevant bodies to “seek public counsel and shape public policy to alleviate concerns raised by the public and guarantee sustainable and beneficial development to the Maldives.”
The hope, according to the conservation groups, is that the country will prioritize pole-and-line or one-by-one fishing methods, whereby fishers catch one fish at a time, that result in less bycatch and ensure stocks remain sustainable.
Callum Roberts, a professor of marine conservation at England’s University of Exeter said that one-by-one tuna fisheries were a Maldivian tradition going back hundreds of years.
“Few places can demonstrate such extraordinary long-term sustainability,” he said. “By rejecting more efficient and destructive fishing methods, the Maldives shows other countries a better route to balancing fishing income with ocean health and nature protection.”
Besides stock sustainability, the conservation groups argued that longline fishing had the potential to affect another vital sector of the Maldives’ economy: tourism.
Tourism, often centered around scuba diving in the Maldives, is critical to the country's economy, with much of the draw being the biodiversity in the waters surrounding the archipelago – including unique shark species. The Maldives is one of 17 shark sanctuaries in the world, which hosts 29 threatened species.
According to the Maldives Ocean Alliance, sharks are particularly vulnerable to ending up as bycatch in longlining operations.
“The decision not to reintroduce longline fisheries in the Maldives is a monumental win for marine conservation. Let’s stay vigilant; our work isn’t over, but today, we celebrate this crucial step in protecting our marine life,” the Maldives Ocean Alliance said. “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been tirelessly fighting for our oceans.”
