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(18
Oct 2005)
Sustainable Fisheries Management
Fisheries
are a major economic activity in many coastal states of the world.
It is estimated that more than 12 million people are directly
employed in the fishing industry world wide and the value of the
traded fish products is estimated to be more than US$ 40 billion
per annum (FAO,1997). FAO also estimates that the total production
from wild fisheries and aquaculture to be in excess of 100 million
tons per year.
In
the Maldives, the fishing industry is dominated by the exploitation
of tuna. Tuna is not only the main export commodity of the country
but also much in demand on the domestic market. More than 42%
of all tuna landed in the country is consumed locally (MOFAMR,
1997). Hence, tuna resources are extremely important to the country
both socially and economically. In addition to the tuna fishery
the reef fishery of Maldives has undergone substantial expansion
during the last decade and half. As a result, a number of reef
resources of the country are thought to be under pressure.
Present
fisheries management system
The
legal framework for the current fisheries management system is
provided through various laws, official mandates of relevant government
ministries and presidential decrees. The national policy for the
fisheries sector is derived from National Development Plan, Vision
2020 and Maldives Strategic Economic Plan Phase I. Important government
ministries which play an active role in the current fisheries
management system are the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and
Marine Resources (MOFAMR), Fisheries Advisory Board (FAB), Ministry
of Defense and National Security and Ministry of Economic Development
and Trade.
The way ahead: moving towards devolved management system?
In
recent years there has been a growing realization among scientists
and resource mangers of the world that if fisheries management
regimes are to be effective and legitimate, then the involvement
of fishermen in the decision-making process is vital. More and
more countries and institutions are beginning to accept that centrally
based management systems have failed or are not functioning efficiently.
One
of the basic assumptions behind a devolved fisheries management
system is that if property rights can be exercised in an efficient
manner over a common property resource such as the reef resources
of Maldives, then the resources could be managed in an efficient
and sustainable manner.
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