The Maldives is home to some of the most spectacular marine life on the planet, ranging from whales and dolphins to the smallest coral-dwelling invertebrates and everything in between. This incredible aquatic diversity makes the Maldives one of the top diving destinations in the world and now, the Republic of Maldives is also becoming an important place on the world fishing map.
Sport Fishing in the Maldives
When sport fishing in the Maldives, you can experience the way the locals fish, with a traditional line and weights, or you can use the modern gear you’re probably already used to. Fishing tour operators are on the rise in the Maldives as people start looking at the Maldives as a fishing destination. There are even several fishing cruises (such as diving) where you can spend a whole week touring the archipelago in search of the best sport fishing.
Maldivian fish species
If you are lucky enough to go fishing in the Maldives, you will catch Sailfish, Tuna, Swordfish, Marlin, Wahoo, and Barracuda among other species of fish.
Underwater fishing in the Maldives
Spearfishing is prohibited in the Maldives as the waters here are protected by the Maldivian Government. Interestingly, the first divers to come to the Maldives were from Italy and their main reason for coming to the Maldives was to hunt. They flocked to these densely populated waters with their harpoons and began hunting the largest marine animals in the waters, namely sharks, rays, and large pelagic species. Later, when the Maldives became popular with German tourists, they informed the Maldivian government that this barbaric sport could cause fish stocks to decline and also deter other tourists from visiting the Maldives due to these barbaric fishing activities. So, in 1998 the ban on spearfishing in the Maldives came into effect.
The Maldives fishing industry
Fishing is one of the most important industries in the Maldives, along with tourism. A large percentage of Maldivians make their living by fishing in Maldivian waters. Fish is also the main source of protein for the islanders, which is why the demand for Maldivian fish is generated both locally and abroad. Maldivian fish exports are growing steadily, with the most commonly exported fish species being various varieties of tuna, snapper, mahi mahi and sailfish. There is even a tuna canning factory on the island of Felivaru, which provides many jobs for the locals.
Maldivians who fish independently bring their catch every day to Male’s fish market, where they sell it to all the hotels and resorts throughout the archipelago. A typical day’s catch can be around 300 to 100 pounds of fish, although catches get smaller and smaller as time goes on. All fish in the Maldives must be caught with line and pole; Net fishing is prohibited as a way to protect these incredible waters. All species counts are down considerably from what they were years ago, particularly sharks and lobsters, despite being protected by law. Female lobster should not be fished, but it still happens.
With a rapidly growing population in the Maldives and a booming tourism industry, the demand for fish in the Maldives is increasing rapidly, as supply is declining, even more rapidly.