Online Petition Against Government’s Plan to Reintroduce Longline Fishing Gains Over 9,500 Signatures

An online petition against the government's plan to reintroduce longline fishing in Maldivian waters has gained over 9,500 signatures. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam defends the plan to maximize yellowfin tuna quotas set by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Critics, including the Ocean Alliance and the Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union (BKMU), argue that longline fishing harms the environment through bycatch (sharks, turtles, etc.) and threatens tourism. Statistics show over 740,000 km of fishing lines were lost at sea in 2022. Local fishermen oppose the move, fearing economic impact. Transparency Maldives and the International Union of Food Workers also expressed concern.

An online petition against the government's plan to reintroduce longline fishing in Maldivian waters has gained over 9,500 signatures. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam defends the plan to maximize yellowfin tuna quotas set by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Critics, including the Ocean Alliance and the Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union (BKMU), argue that longline fishing harms the environment through bycatch (sharks, turtles, etc.) and threatens tourism. Statistics show over 740,000 km of fishing lines were lost at sea in 2022. Local fishermen oppose the move, fearing economic impact. Transparency Maldives and the International Union of Food Workers also expressed concern.

An online petition against the government's plan to reintroduce longline fishing in Maldivian waters has gained over 9,500 signatures. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam defends the plan to maximize yellowfin tuna quotas set by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Critics, including the Ocean Alliance and the Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union (BKMU), argue that longline fishing harms the environment through bycatch (sharks, turtles, etc.) and threatens tourism. Statistics show over 740,000 km of fishing lines were lost at sea in 2022. Local fishermen oppose the move, fearing economic impact. Transparency Maldives and the International Union of Food Workers also expressed concern.

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