The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources has expanded the country’s fishing infrastructure with the deployment of 76 new Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) across Maldivian waters over the past two years.
The newly installed units include 39 sport fishing FADs and 37 designed for pole-and-line fisheries. According to the Ministry, the increase was driven in part by requests from island councils and youth groups for more ‘Vadhu Kandhufathi’ units, which support reef-based and recreational fishing activities.
Alongside these, the Ministry has deployed 37 ‘Dhoshi Kandhufathi’ units to strengthen deep-sea tuna fishing using the traditional pole-and-line method, a key component of the country’s fisheries sector.
The expansion forms part of the government’s wider strategy to develop the industry and improve access to reliable fishing grounds. As part of this plan, the government is preparing to establish dedicated FAD centres in the northern and southern regions. These facilities are expected to streamline the repair and rebuilding of damaged units to ensure continuity for fishing operations.
Construction of the regional centres is expected to begin before December, marking another step toward strengthening fisheries infrastructure nationwide.
