Information has been provided to fishermen on how to keep bait alive for longer periods in the holds of fishing vessels.
The Ministry of Fisheries stated that these sessions, held from the 14th to the 16th of this month at Big Fish Maldives in K. Himmafushi, were conducted under the "Promotion of Blue Economy in Fisheries Sector of the Maldives" project, run jointly by the Maldivian Government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The sessions aimed to provide information to fishermen on modifying vessel bait holds to keep bait alive longer and properly managing bait on the dhonis with these modifications.
The Fisheries Ministry stated that during these sessions, fishermen were practically taught the reasons for bait mortality caused by the design of vessel bait holds and the current methods of scooping bait, as well as measures that can be taken to resolve these issues. The Ministry also noted that fishermen were provided with information on the bait hold model designed under this project, the usage of bait scoops prepared according to Japanese designs, and the dynamics of the bait hold. Fishermen from 7 dhonis participated in these sessions, with practical training and information provided by officials from JICA and the Fisheries Ministry.
Under the project to identify necessary modifications to vessel bait holds to keep bait alive longer, changes have been made to the bait holds of the "Safeena" dhoni operating in GDh. Faresmaathodaa, the "Kamana" dhoni in GDh. Madaveli, and the "Hudhu Hudhu" dhoni in Lh. Naifaru. The modifications made to the bait holds of these 3 vessels under this project include enabling water circulation within the hold and allowing dead bait to be removed without sinking into the hold.
The Fisheries Ministry previously stated that, based on the results of this project conducted under Japanese grant assistance, work is underway to formulate a project to provide the necessary assistance to modify the bait holds of Maldivian vessels.
