Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has announced 30 more Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) will be placed in 2022. He made the statement at the agreement-signing ceremony to develop the fifth-generation fishing vessels.
In his speech, Minister Hassan said the government has been using FADs since 1981 to decrease the fuel costs for fishing boats. He highlighted how FADs have helped fishermen increase their yield and guarantee a steady quota of fish for factories. He also noted there are currently 56 FADs in use across the Maldives and the ministry expects it will receive funding from next year's budget to place 30 more FADs.
Furthermore, Minister Hassan said the ministry has received complaints about individuals using fishing nets near FADs, which makes it difficult for fishermen to use baits and tackles.
To address these issues, the minister said special FADs will be placed near islands for recreational fishing.
Currently, FADs used for bait and tackle fishing are placed 15 to 20 miles from each other and 1.5 to 2 kilometres deep.