• Skipjack tuna fishing in the Maldives using rod and line is MSC-certified as a sustainable method.
• Fishermen aboard small vessels manage to catch tonnes of fish without destroying the ecosystem while ensuring the survival of fish populations.
• Their activity, however, is increasingly threatened by climate change and intensive fishing.

In the Maldives, catching skipjack tuna is still done one fish at a time, with rod and line, just as it has been for centuries. In stark contrast to intensive and destructive industrial practices such as bottom trawling and purse-seine fishing, Maldivian tuna fishing remains sustainable, ensuring the prosperity of fish populations, the livelihoods of local communities, and a livelihood for future generations of fishermen.

Sustainable skipjack tuna fishing in the Maldives

This is the story told by a report published in the Guardian. Tuna is among the most important exports of the Maldives: the fish is sold primarily abroad as canned tuna, with over 50,000 tonnes exported every year to Europe and North America. Certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, the Maldives' rod-and-line fishing technique — which accounts for 65 percent of skipjack tuna catches — is considered one of the most responsible methods in the world for catching tuna.

Bycatch rates, in fact, average just 0.65 percent. Of that, 95 percent is sold to resorts, while the rest is released alive. By contrast, longline tuna fishing records an average bycatch rate of 28 percent, which often includes endangered sharks and sea turtles.

"By promoting low-impact, targeted fishing techniques such as pole and hand line, the Maldives is helping to protect its marine ecosystems, strengthen their resilience to climate change, and support the long-term livelihoods of coastal communities," Martin Purves, chief executive of the International Pole and Line Foundation, told the Guardian.

The threat of climate change and intensive fishing

The income of Maldivian fishermen is determined by the rhythms of the ocean, which are becoming increasingly unpredictable due to climate change. As tuna populations shift across the ocean, unsustainable industrial overfishing also impacts traditional Maldivian fishing.

In recent times, declining fish numbers have forced fishermen to venture further out to catch skipjack tuna. They travel on small vessels called dhoni, which typically return the same day — unlike industrial fishing boats that remain at sea for weeks.

How much do they catch in a day? The Guardian reports the figures from one fishing trip: in the first daily outing, ten fishermen caught around 2.5 tonnes of fish in just 75 minutes. In the second outing, they managed a total of 4.5 tonnes of tuna caught by 2:30 pm.