Maldives moves to disallow longline fishing

The Maldives government has decided to discontinue issuing licenses for longline fishing vessels, the fisheries ministry announced on Monday.

The decision was made after a delegation from the European Union Maritime Affairs and Fisheries visited in April and expressed concern about illegal activities in long-lining operations, which they warned was dire enough to warrant a complete ban on Maldivian fish exports, the fisheries ministry explained in a statement.

Long-lining as an alternative method of fishing alongside the environment-friendly pole-and-line method was approved in 2010 after a steady decline in fish catch since 2006. The former method, which uses a long line with baited hooks, is more cost effective but generates by-catch such as sharks and turtles.

Long-lining is the only form of fishing where foreigners are legally allowed to work on vessels, which operate 100 nautical miles from the shore. Such boats usually employ eight to ten crew members, only one of whom would be a Maldivian, the fisheries ministry noted.