European Union (EU) has praised the efforts of Maldives against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The remarks were made during the visit of the delegation from the IUU Mission of EU to Maldives from February 23 to 25.
In the final statement issued by the delegation after the technical evaluation conducted in collaboration with Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture, the delegation said the administration has taken several important measures over the past year to ensure fishing is regulated and monitored. In this regard, they noted the facilities established to record fishing statistics and the resources invested to implement the fishing policies and regulations in Maldives.
The delegation praised the efforts of the administration to ensure the sustainable pole and line fishing industry in Maldives is an IUU-free industry. Furthermore, the IUU delegation also noted the introduction of the new Fisheries Act within the first 12 months of the administration as an important step in regulating and monitoring fishing.
This was the fourth visit by the IUU Mission to Maldives since 2015. The mission monitors the compliance of Maldives to the Regulation to Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing formulated by EU, as one of the countries that export fish to Europe.