Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam has departed to France to attend the 3rd meeting of the United Nations Oceans Conference, representing the Maldives as its highest-ranking representative.
The meeting will be held from 9 to 13 June in Nice, France.
Minister Shiyam is scheduled to deliver an address during the opening session of the conference on behalf of the Maldives. In his speech, the Minister will highlight the sustainable fishing practices of the Maldives and the ongoing efforts by a small island nation like the Maldives to protect and maintain the marine environment. The Minister will also highlight the challenges encountered in maintaining these practices.
The Ministry of Fisheries said that one of the key messages the Minister will advocate on behalf of the Maldives is the need for greater international recognition of countries that manage their marine resources sustainably while also protecting the fragile marine environment. The Minister will also highlight the the need to increase international funding for environmental and marine resources protection, and to establish a system where special privileges exist for environmentally vulnerable countries such as the Maldives, which are already implementing appropriate measures for environmental protection and sustainable use of marine resources.
The Minister will further emphasise that the Maldives’ tuna fishery is recognised as the most environmentally friendly method in the world. The Minister will note that despite this, the Maldives continues to bear some of the heaviest tariff burdens among small islands and fish-exporting countries. This, in turn, will create significant obstacles to fair competition in local fish markets, he noted. He will also advocate for international attention to the need for tariff structures that support and incentivises sustaining fishing.
A special session is also scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the 3rd session of the United Nations Oceans Conference, as an initiative by the Maldives. The Fisheries Ministry said the session will provide extensive, in-depth discussions and exchange of views, with expert proposals from industry experts on measures to be taken at national and international levels to ensure that small-scale fisheries in countries like Maldives are also sustainably developed through a planned, well operated and and managed system.