The Ministry of Fisheries has decided to issue catch certificates to parties exporting reef fish from the Maldives.
The Ministry made this decision as a measure to stop illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The Ministry stated that with this decision, through the catch certificate issuance system, it will be mandatory to have a catch certificate issued by the Ministry with every shipment of reef fish exported.
The Ministry said that through the catch certificate issuance system, information about the vessel that caught the exported reef fish species, the date the fish was caught, and information about the party that processed the fish will be collected. Furthermore, in light of that information, it will facilitate the identification of all stages the products have gone through from the time the fish was caught until it is provided to the parties buying the fish and fish products.
The Ministry stated that establishing a catch certificate issuance system is an important step to ensure that all fish and fish products exchanged in the Maldives' fishing trade are caught and prepared from a fishery managed through a robust system.
Under the licensing system to monitor and manage reef fishing and reef fish trade activities in the Maldives through a robust system, the Ministry is also working on licensing parties active in reef fishing and the reef fish trade.
As such, vessels engaged in commercial reef fishing; reef fish processing facilities; and parties selling reef fish species as middlemen to exporters and resorts must obtain a license. Accordingly, the Ministry stated that the procedures for applying for, issuing, renewing, and canceling licenses, the duration and fee of the license, and the procedures to be followed by licensed parties will be specified in the regulation on planning, operating, and managing reef fishing. The Ministry also stated that a registry containing information on all vessels issued licenses for reef fishing, as well as the captains and crew of the vessels, will be compiled and maintained by the Ministry.
In addition, the Ministry has also decided to establish an advisory committee to advise the Ministry on policies related to managing and sustainably developing reef fishing, protecting and managing reef fish populations, conducting reef fish research, and policies related to its trade, and to hold meetings of this committee at least twice a year.
