The opportunity to register in the National Fishermen's Registry has been opened.
Regarding the work being done by the Fisheries Ministry to implement the policies included in the Week 14 roadmap determined by President Dr. Muizzu, the ministry stated that the fishermen's registry was inaugurated on the 16th of this month.
The Fisheries Ministry says that the opportunity to register is now open via the online platform prepared for registry enrollment. Registration for the fishermen's registry can be done through the website https://fisher.keyolhu.mv. Registration will be processed via eFaas.
This is the first time an official fishermen's registry has been compiled at a national level in the Maldives. In accordance with the government's "Week 14" roadmap, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu decided to establish a national fishermen's registry on the advice of the Cabinet during last year's Fishermen's Day.
One of the main purposes of compiling such a registry is to classify fishing as a professional occupation and to recognize fishermen as individuals engaged in a state-recognized income-generating profession, similar to other occupations. Likewise, the government has stated that having such a registry is crucial to integrating fishermen into the banking system, issuing targeted loans to fishermen for various needs, and establishing a mechanism to directly provide state-supplied social protection and resources like subsidies to fishermen.
To be classified as a fisherman in this registry, an individual active in fishing must have fishing as their primary income-generating activity or have a significant portion of their income derived from fishing.
Until now, relevant government ministries have primarily maintained data on skipjack tuna fishing. Information on reef fishing activities and vessels has not been adequately maintained. Therefore, the government has stated that the newly compiled national fishermen's registry will establish a system to comprehensively collect data on reef fishing varieties such as grouper fishing, as well as recreational and sports fishing activities.
