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EveryFish

Reef or sea, Maldives

The Maldives

Coral atolls of the Indian Ocean with a pole and line tuna fishery and some of the world's best manta and whale shark sites.

The Maldives is a nation of about 1,200 coral islands grouped in 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-west of India. Fish is central to its economy and food: tuna and coconut are the basis of Maldivian cooking. Its reefs draw divers from around the world, especially to see manta rays and whale sharks, and tourism and fishing are its two largest industries.

A tuna nation

Maldivian fishers have caught skipjack by pole and line for centuries, from wooden boats called dhonis, and the government has long kept large industrial nets out of its tuna fishery. Hand-line yellowfin fishing is also important. The catch is eaten fresh, made into dried and smoked tuna and tuna paste, and canned for export. The pole and line skipjack fishery was certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2012.

Mantas and whale sharks

Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2011, is famous for gatherings of reef manta rays that feed on plankton in the monsoon. South Ari Atoll is known for whale sharks seen all year. Shark fishing has been banned since 2010. Mass bleaching in 1998 and 2016 killed much coral, and sea level rise threatens the low islands themselves.

Fish of The Maldives

Whale sharkSeen year-round off South Ari Atoll

Still to be written: Skipjack tuna, Yellowfin tuna, Reef manta ray.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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