Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture has revealed that it has registered over 10,000 fishermen. The ministry has been formulating a fishermen’s registry as part of its work to develop the fisheries sector.
Speaking to PSM News, Director of Fisheries Compliance Ahmed Shifaz said that the ministry is working to register all fishermen in the Maldives. He said that the number of fishermen in the country is estimated to be around 17,000 to 18,000.
Furthermore, Shifaz said that the fishermen’s registry has detailed information on those involved in grouper fisheries and skipjack tuna fishing and that the ministry is working to obtain more information on fishermen through an online portal. He said that the portal can be used to gain information on fishermen working on a small scale in the atolls. He added that anyone whose main income comes from fishing will be considered a fisherman.
Additionally, Shifaz said the ministry is also working with the island councils to obtain information on local fishermen. He said that a system will be in place to keep a permanent record of all the fishermen in the Maldives.