President calls for efforts to improve health of young fishermen

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has called for collaborative efforts by Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Health to improve the health of young fishermen.

In his speech at the function held in Ga. Vilingili last night to mark this year’s Fishermen’s Day, the President noted that the traditional fishing techniques have now evolved, and that while in the past fishermen woke up at dawn, collected bait and returned to their islands after a full day’s work, today, fishermen spend whole weeks out in the seas.

President Waheed highlighted the increase in the number of young fishermen, and said that it was important that these young fishermen have the necessary knowledge, such as impact of climate change on fishing and the biology of fishes.

He said that today’s fishing industry should not be limited to pole and line fishing, and that a range of career opportunities including microbiology, accounting, and management are now available in the fishing industry. Moreover he said, as the aquaculture industry broadens, job opportunities in fish farming, methods to control fish diseases, and fish processing were expected to increase.

He acknowledged that the fishing industry has immensely improved over the years. He noted that despite the decline in 2007, the Maldives tuna industry is now showing signs of improvement.