Ministry to impose up to MVR 10 million fine for use of protected species

The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has announced its decision to implement a new regulation in January 2015, to impose a fine of up to MVR 10 million for use of protected species.

This was announced by Senior Research Officer of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Adam Ziyad, at a press conference held today, following recent reports and photos on social media of cruelty against turtles in an island in the Maldives.

He said that the regulation has been put together and sent to relevant institutions for comments and advice.

He said that under the new regulation, a fine of up to MVR 10 million would be levied for use of protected species; and that the exact amount would depend on the severity of the offence, and the economic benefits for the offender as a result of the offence. To that effect, he said that the fine would be ten times the benefits obtained by the offender.

The responsibility of implementing the fine under the regulation would fall on the Prosecutor General’s Office and Maldives Police Service, said Ziyad.

He said that the new regulation follows efforts to raise awareness on protected species and empower councils and NGOs, which have failed to a large extent.

Director General of Maldives Research Centre Dr Mohamed Shiyam said that previously, 20,000 to 25,000 turtles were reported to visit islands per year, but this number has, of late, seen significant decrease.

He added that turtles play a major role in the fertilisation and stabilisation of the soil on beaches, thereby protecting beaches.

Director General of Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture Hussain Shinan urged people to refrain from cruelty against turtles, and said that research has shown that it is more economically beneficial to protect turtles, than to remove them from the sea for various purposes.

Police have initiated an investigation after photos of cruelty against turtles, which reportedly has been ongoing in an island for some time now, were posted on Facebook a few days ago.