Fisheries resources use and issues in the Republic of Maldives

Abstract

The Republic of Maldives is an island country composed by atolls in the Indian Ocean. From times immemorial, the islands’ population have been strongly depending on marine resources, as far as food culture, nutrition supply and economic impact are concerned. However, catch amounts of skipjack tuna, which is the most important fisheries resource in Maldives, have decreased drastically in recent years. On the other hand, an increasing fishing pressure on the reef fishes by coastal fisheries is linked to an increasing demand of supplies from the resorts hotels and for export. Relevant governmental organizations and donors have begun exerting efforts to tackle those issues and ensure sustainable fisheries resources use.