Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam has called on international and regional organizations to work together towards a common goal in the effort to promote sustainable fisheries.
She made this call while officiating the opening ceremony of the 30th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) currently underway in the Maldives, held yesterday at Nasandhura Palace Hotel.
In her remarks at the meeting, Minister Iruthisham highlighted the important role played by the Maldives in promoting sustainable fisheries. She also shed light on the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region and called for increased cooperation among countries to resolve the challenges facing the region.
In her speech, the Minister also called on international and regional organizations to work together towards a common goal in the effort to promote sustainable fisheries, and gave assurance that the Maldives will always provide cooperation in the work done to promote sustainable fisheries.
Furthermore, she noted that it is important for the system established to strengthen ocean governance to be an appropriate system to resolve the special needs of all countries, especially the issues of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). She stated that it is also important to provide the financial and technical assistance needed by these countries to ensure the equal participation of SIDS in important decisions related to fisheries.
This IOTC meeting is being held in the Maldives from the 11th to the 15th of this month. Since becoming a member country of the IOTC in 2011, the Maldives has been playing a leading role in this organization. In particular, many efforts are being made to advance the interests of Small Island Developing States in the field of sustainable fisheries.
