'No concerns over EU sanctions': Fisheries Minister

Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture, Dr Zaha Waheed, during the Parliamentary session on Monday, assured that any "fear" of European Union (EU) sanctions on fish exportation were "eliminated".

Responding to a question posed by Henveiru West MP Hassan Latheef, Minister Zaha stated that measures were taken to curb illegal fisheries.

"...over the course of the past 12 days, we have addressed all concerns of the European Union and eliminated the fear of possible sanctions", said Minister Zaha.

Zaha also noted European Commission's Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fisheries Policy Unit's recent mission to assess Maldives' efforts to deter unlicensed fishing.

During the Commission's technical evaluation in February, the delegation commended the efforts made by the Maldivian administration to bolster fisheries frameworks and collect baseline data on fish populations. In addition, they recognized the administration's priority to enforce the regulations on a policy level, including the ratification of the Maldives Fisheries Bill in 2019.

"over the course of the past 12 days, we have addressed all concerns of the European Union and eliminated the fear of possible sanctions", said the Minister.

EU threatened to impose the sanctions, alleging human trafficking and slavery within the Maldivian fisheries sector.

Ministry of Fisheries and Maldives Customs Service (MCS) on February 26, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to begin enforcing the 'National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing' (NPOA-IUU).

The MoU is intended to ensure that the issuance of inward and outward clearance for foreign fishing vessels docking in Maldives as well as inspection procedure for such vessels adhere to international guidelines.

Under the agreement, authorities will begin to train officers to inspect both foreign fishing vessels and reefer vessels that export Maldivian fish products abroad. The MoU will also facilitate the regular exchange of information between the ministry and MCS.