MALDIVES: Fisheries Minister Calls for Global Collaboration to Ensure Fair Tuna Trade

Maldives Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has emphasized the urgent need for collaborative efforts to create a level playing field, ensuring equitable opportunities for all stakeholders in the global tuna trade. He made this statement at the  18^th INFOFISH World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition, which was held alongside the Ministerial and Industry High-Level Dialogue on Sustainable Tuna Fisheries in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking about the importance of breaking down barriers to market access for tuna products from developing countries, particularly for small-scale fisheries, the Minister noted that the Maldives and other developing states struggle to compete with large industrial fleets and are facing significant challenges.

“It is high time that we join hands and work collaboratively to create a level playing field, ensuring equitable opportunities for all stakeholders in the global tuna trade,” he said.

According to the Fisheries Ministry, the Minister also highlighted the impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, particularly by foreign fishing fleets. “This notorious practice undermines the livelihoods of countless fishers and coastal communities. It also undermines the efforts of responsible fishers, particularly in coastal states like the Maldives, where we have made several sacrifices to ensure that the sustainable culture of fishing is maintained through generations,” he said.

 The Minister also spoke about the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen surveillance and tighten the fisheries framework to combat IUU fishing. Ministers and high-ranking representatives from significant tuna-producing and exporting nations, industry stakeholders, and international organizations participated in the dialogue.

Source: FIS