Tunas, primarily skipjack, was an important source of food and export commodity for Maldives throughout its recorded history. The strategic location of Maldives in the trade route of the Indian Ocean allowed Maldives to trade skipjack tuna to neighbouring and distant countries. While traditionally processed and traded as dried fish, skipjack tuna is exported either as frozen, fresh, chilled or canned in modern times. Main markets for skipjack tuna include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Iran, UK, Japan and Germany. Thailand is the main export market for frozen and fresh skipjack whereas canned skipjack is exported to Germany and UK. Sri Lanka is the second biggest skipjack tuna export market for the Maldives, following Thailand, with dried fish and salted dried fish being the main export products. The major portion of the yellowfin tuna caught in the Maldives is exported, with Japan, United Kingdom, Europe and the United States of America being the main markets.
Over the past several years, the Maldivian tuna fishery has undergone considerable development. However, despite the long history, Maldivian tuna fishers have retained the environmentally friendly one-by-one method of fishing they have practiced for centuries. Due to such environmentally friendly fishing practices, the Maldivian tuna fishery has been recognized globally as an exemplary fishery. As such, the fishery has received a number of accreditations and certifications, including the ‘Dolphin Free’ ecolabel and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification awarded for the pole-and-line fishery in 2015. While fisheries from other countries, including purse seine fisheries, have also been awarded the MSC certificate, there is a considerably excellent public and market opinion of the Maldivian tuna fishery in comparison to most other fisheries. This ecolabel has been instrumental for the tuna fishery in providing and maintaining access to diverse markets.
The obtainment and retention of such ecolabels involve numerous obligations and responsibilities. This may include the collection and management of fisheries data, ensuring the enforcement of fisheries regulations and conduction of marine scientific research on the fishery, and in particular, on the impact of fisheries activities on the marine ecosystem. This work must be carried out with full cooperation and involvement from fishing communities, stakeholders in the fish processing and trade industries and the government.