The social dimension of the Maldivian sea

The Maldives emphasises social sustainability within its sea policy

Maldivian people are fiercely attached to the preservation of the sea, a living but fragile ecosystem that accounts for 99 per cent of their national territory. In charge of this key task, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Mohamed Shainee says: "This naturally makes us one of the staunchest advocates of sustainability in the global arena."

"Sustainability has an economic, ecological and social impact. Yet, while people are mostly aware of ecological sustainability, social sustainability is rarely mentioned in international debates on conservation and should be emphasized," explains Shainee. "We need to sustain the jobs of our fisherfolk, on top of perserving future generations' right to tap into those same resources, and social sustainability pushes us to look at the well-being of the people," he says, stressing that "fishing gives them nutrition, sustenance, and livelihood."

Shainee and the Fisheries Promotion Board's outsanding advocacy efforts were internationally recognized on February 1st, 2016 by the annual Seafood Champion Awards, which acclaimed the Maldives' "efforts to promote sustainable fishery practices and policies in the Indian Ocean," a press release from the organization announced.