Poor Catch And High Oil Price Makes Maldives Fishermen Wearyff

Tuna fishermen in the north of the Maldives Islands are refusing to venture out to fishing, rendering fisheries in the North of Maldives bad, while world oil prices grow worse.

According to Island Enterprises Managing Director ‘Maizan’ Umar Manik, fishermen are afraid the oil prices will rise again, even though they had gone down at the time of press.

“They feel that oil prices might rise again, despite the fact that prices are actually going down,” Umar told local press. “Our (export) company doesn’t even get three tons of fish now. “We are suffering great losses from this situation. Some dhoni owners have bluntly said that they want to save their oil, not waste it.”

One crewmember of a Shaviyani Atoll “odi” (traditional fishing boat) says that it is not wise to burn oil and consume fuel when fishing is poor. “We don’t want to waste an entire oil barrel for two or three fish. We’ll leave only when we’re sure of our chances of a good catch,” said a crewmember.

One fish-exporting company owner said that there was nothing wrong with fisheries and that the reason for the fishermen’s depression was that the catch simply didn’t rise up to their high expectations these days.  “The only way you can be sure of the day’s catch is to actually go out to sea. But the problem is fuel. That’s what everyone is concerned about,” he said.

Fishing in the north has reclined so badly that some of the islands have voiced concern over this. While this may be the case in the north, South Maldives is not experiencing any trouble with fishing at all.

Maldives’ only tuna cannery MIFCO Fisheries Complex in Laamu atoll Maandhoo Island has said that the area’s tuna fisheries was perfectly fine. “We get to buy a lot of fish, so the fishing is good,” said an official at the Fisheries Complex. “We buy fish without any limits on how much we can buy.”

According to sources, that particular fishing zone’s best catches are in Laamu atoll. Faafu and Dhaalu atolls are also experiencing good fisheries.

An official at Kooddoo Fisheries Complex said that fishing in that region was doing very well. “It’s not bad at all,” said an official representing the complex. “Fishing in Addu, Fuah Mulah, Gaafu Alifu, and Gaafu Dhaalu atolls is all good. We get all the fish we need.”

The island office of Thulhaadhoo, in Baa Atoll in the north, has said that fishing there is currently at a low. “We’ve had bad catches for around a month now. Most fishermen don’t even go fishing anymore,” an official said.

Authorities at Haa Alifu atoll Hoarafushi Island, where the fishing is best in the north, said that only a few vessels go for fishing because of poor catch. “It’s been almost two weeks since we had a decent catch,” an official from Hoarafushi Island office said.