Maldives yellowfin tuna - handline

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Overview

The handline fishery is the most important, in terms of foreign exchange revenue. Current landings are about 28,000 MT annually, of which 80% is exported, mostly in fresh chilled form. These exports are worth about 70 million USD a year. 

The fishery targets surface-dwelling large yellowfin tuna, which in non-handline fisheries are often associated with dolphins. While Maldivians know of the fishery potential of yellowfin tuna, a targeted fishery using handlines started 1990s as a response to the private sector involvement in fresh tuna exports.  Livebait, often scads (Selar crumenophthalmus, Decapterus macarellus)  and triggerfish (Odonus niger), are used to attract and maintain large yellowfin tuna schools. Hooked scads/triggerfish on handline leads with sinkers are used to catch yellowfin and hauled manually. The fish are killed immediately, gilled, gutted, and bled before being stored on flake ice.  

The fishery is highly selective with no bycatch and virtually no negative interactions with ETP species.

The scope of the FIP is the entire Maldives handline fishery, conducted throughout the archipelago, but generally restricted to the south-central, central, and northern regions. The Maldives fishery segment is part of the wider Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock, but this fishery targets only adult tuna within the Maldivian EEZ.

Of the roughly 800 licensed tuna vessels in the Maldives, about 50% target exclusively yellowfin using handlines. The fishing licenses are renewed every year and managed by the Maldives Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture.
 

FIP Description 

The handline fishery is the most important, in terms of foreign exchange revenue. Current landings are about 28,000 MT annually, of which 80% is exported, mostly in fresh chilled form. These exports are worth about 70 million USD a year. 

FIP Objective(s) 

The Maldives Handline Yellowfin Tuna Fishery Improvement Project seeks to achieve the following objectives  by the end of 2026:

  • Improve market demand and market access for the Maldives one-by-one handline yellowfin tuna fishery.
  • Promote actions to implement a rebuilding plan for the YFT stock that is expected to allow an increase in the stock to a point that it is at or fluctuating around Bmsy.
  • Promote actions to implement an effective Harvest Strategy, supported by appropriate and effective Harvest Control Rules and Tools
  • Identify management requirements for livebait species utilized in the handline fishery and ongoing information requirements to ensure management is appropriate.
  • Implement a process to review any measures necessary to minimise UoA related mortality of endangered, threatened and protected species, notably sharks.
  • To achieve MSC Certification of the handline yellowfin tuna fishery by 2026, with all indicator scores reaching 80 or above.

 

 

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
May 2021
May 2026
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, February 28, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
Yellowfin Tuna
Scientific Name
Thunnus albacares
Gear Type 
Handline
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 51 (Indian Ocean, Western)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Maldives
Geographic Scope 
The entire EEZ of the Maldives
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
IOTC
High Seas Name 
Indian Ocean
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
19,540 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
19,540 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
May 01, 2021
4% 25% 71%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

A Advanced Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Feb 2025
Target End Date
May 2026
Additional Impacts:
Traceability

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Maldives Seafood Processors and Exporters Association
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Shafin Ahmed
Phone 
+9607753978
Organization Name 
International Pole and Line Foundation
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
M. Shiham Adam
Phone 
+9607792687
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
15236