President Muizzu Reverses Cabinet Decision on Longline Fishing Following Outcry From Advocacy Groups

President Mohamed Muizzu has reversed the decision to allow longline fishing in the Maldives, the President’s Office has confirmed.

President Muizzu reversed the decision on Thursday following concerns raised by the Maldives Yellowfin Tuna Fishers’ Union, the President’s Office said.

The administration had faced increasing pressure from environmental groups, both domestic and from abroad, to reverse the decision since the Cabinet decision was announced on 13 June 2024.

The move, championed by Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam up until Thursday’s reversal, looked to fully capitalise on the yellowfin tuna quotas allocated by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). The IOTC had awarded the Maldives a substantial quota of 47,517 metric tonnes for 2022, second only to the European Union.

The IOTC, underpinned by scientific research, sets fishery quotas with a view to manage fishing efforts across the Indian Ocean.

In an interview with PSM earlier, Shiyam had highlighted the need for the Maldives to take full advantage of the IOTC quota. Speaking more recently on Wednesday, before the decision was reversed, Shiyam said that longline fishing could stand to add approximately US$120 million in revenue for the Maldives.

“It is very important for us that the quota set [by the IOTC] is used to its fullest. I believe that the state’s revenue—and for the the country [in general]—will increase when we fish commensurate to our quota and we can work to increase the quota,” he had said.

Maldivian fishers are, however, diametrically opposed to allowing longline fishing in the Maldives’ waters. An online petition opposing the decision amassed over 9,500 signatures while 18 civil society organisations, which included the the Maldives Yellowfin Tuna Fishers’ Union as well as the Maldives Manta Conservation Programme, Transparency Maldives, and Eco Care Maldives, had raised concerns with the administration regarding the decision to permit longline fishing in Maldivian waters.

According to the President’s Office, while further meetings will take place between the administration and the Fishers’ Union, the administration, going forward, will “seek public counsel and shape public policy to alleviate concerns raised by the public and guarantee sustainable and beneficial development to the Maldives.”