The Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI) has stated that preparations are underway to launch a program to collect scientific data on tuna fishing and related activities in the Maldives.
Sharing information about this program with "Keyolha", the Director General of MMRI, Mohamed Shimal, said that since the Maldives is required to share scientific data on its fisheries with international organizations under specific guidelines, MMRI routinely collects this information every year. He noted that preparations to begin this year's data collection program are currently ongoing, and observers required for this work have already been selected.
"According to the Fisheries Act and the General Fisheries Regulations, the observers selected for this program must be made public. Accordingly, 17 observers have now been designated for this, and their names have been published in the gazette. These are entirely employees from MMRI and the Fisheries Ministry who have previously carried out this work. The intention is to open this up to the public in the future and select interested parties," Shimal said.
According to the Maldives Fisheries Act, the Fisheries Ministry must designate parties to act as observers on vessels that have obtained a valid permit or license under the Act, or on any other vessels determined under regulations made pursuant to the Act, through an announcement published in the Government Gazette. The responsibilities of these observers include collecting, recording, and reporting reliable and accurate information for scientific purposes, fisheries planning, management, and other related purposes.
In the announcement published in the gazette by the Fisheries Ministry making the names of the observers public, it requested the cooperation of vessel captains and responsible owners as observers board fishing vessels from common fish purchasing harbors, participate in trips, and carry out data collection work.
