Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam departed tonight to attend the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference.
The Ministry stated that the Minister is participating as the highest-ranking official representing the Maldives at the conference, and is scheduled to speak on behalf of the Maldivian government at the opening session. In his address, the Minister will highlight the sustainable fishing practices in the Maldives, shed light on the efforts made by a small island nation like the Maldives to protect and manage the marine environment, and note the challenges faced in such endeavors, according to the Ministry.
While the Maldives is set to participate in various sessions of the conference, one of the most important points the Maldives will advocate for is the need for greater international recognition of the efforts by countries that protect the fragile marine environment while sustainably utilizing marine resources. Specifically, he will advocate for the importance of increasing internationally allocated funds for the protection of the environment and marine resources, and the importance of establishing a system with special privileges for environmentally vulnerable countries like the Maldives, as well as countries that are already taking and implementing adequate measures to protect the environment and sustainably use marine resources when providing assistance through such funds.
Furthermore, he will highlight that despite the Maldives' tuna fishery being the most environmentally friendly in the world, the Maldives is one of the small island nations exporting fish products that bears the heaviest tariff burden, and will explain the challenges this poses for the Maldives to compete on an equal footing in the fish trade. He will also advocate at the international level to bring attention to the importance of setting tariffs on fish products in a way that promotes sustainable fishing.
On the sidelines of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference, which will be held in Nice, France, from June 9 to 13, a special session initiated by the Maldives has been scheduled. The Fisheries Ministry stated that in this session, there will be broad discussions and exchanges of ideas, along with presentations by technical experts in the field, regarding the measures that need to be taken at the national and international levels to ensure that small-scale fisheries in countries like the Maldives are developed sustainably within a planned, managed, and regulated system.
