President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the newly introduced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or military drones in the Maldives' Air Corps will be used to locate fish schools traveling through the country's waters.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Air Corps held in Maafaru last night, the President stated that the locations of fish schools can be monitored in real-time with the help of UAVs.
"With the help of the applications launched tonight for fishermen, the precision of these UAVs is such that fish schools can also be monitored in real-time. Through this application, the most updated locations every day, the areas where fish schools are traveling in this vast territory, can be found," the President said.
The President mentioned that during the presidential campaign, he had stated that the country's vast ocean territory must be properly utilized for fishing and acquiring various marine resources, and his hope is that with the help of UAVs, the ocean will be monitored and the fishing industry will expand.
"This large ocean is very resource-rich, containing many species. While it is a large area where we have the legal right to utilize the seabed, as it is monitored with the help of these UAVs, our hope is to build large fishing vessels as we desire and expand fishing into this vast territory. That is our policy. It is also stipulated in our manifesto," the President said.
The President stated that in the coming days, fishing vessels of a larger size and higher quality than those currently in use will be built, and once the areas where fish schools are located in this vast territory are known, they will go out to fish and begin to fully utilize various ocean resources. He also noted that a relevant ministry has been established to implement these initiatives.
Three Bayraktar TB2 drones, designed by a Turkish company, have been brought in to monitor the Maldives' maritime and airspace. With the introduction of these modern technology drones, the capability to continuously monitor the Maldives' maritime territory 24 hours a day has now been achieved. These drones will be used to search for missing persons and vessels in sea incidents. Furthermore, the drones will also be utilized to ensure the safety and security of the Maldives' fishing grounds and to stop illegal criminal activities within the country's territory.
