Industries in Maldives - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Pole and Line Fishing

Since time immemorial, the method of fishing employed in the Archipelago has been the pole and line method. The types of fish caught by this method are tuna

Tuna

Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...

, skipjack tuna

Skipjack tuna

The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish...

, frigate and mackerel

Mackerel

Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...

. The main catch is tuna

Tuna

, which is used in the daily diet of the inhabitants, as well as for export in different forms. The daily catch depends for the most part on the seasons. Although triangular sailed dhoni
Dhoni
Dhoni or Doni is a multi-purpose sail boat with a motor or lateen sails that is used in the Maldives. It is handcrafted and its use within the multi-island nation has been very important. A dhoni resembles a dhow, a traditional Arab sailing vessel.The traditional dhoni is one of the oldest known...

were used in the past, today fishing dhoanis are mechanized.

Traditionally, the fishermen set out at dawn in search of bait fish, which were caught and kept alive in a specially prepared compartment of the dhoani. Eight or nine men did the actual fishing. The poles are short, are equipped with a line, and hook. During a favorable season, the catch could be as much as a thousand fish per dhoani per day. Traditionally, the fishermen return to the island by nightfall however, with the advent of mechanized dhoani, they are back by early afternoon. Skipjack tuna

Skipjack tuna

and yellowfin tuna

Yellowfin tuna

The yellowfin tuna is a species of tuna found in pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.Yellowfin is often marketed as ahi, from its Hawaiian name ahi although the name ahi in Hawaiian also refers to the closely related bigeye tuna. The species name, albacares can lead to...

are the most common species caught in Maldives.

Industrial Fishing

Mechanization of the traditional sailing dhoani in 1974 revolutionized the fisheries industry of the Maldives. A new generation of dhoani, designed especially for mechanization was introduced. A fish-canning factory was set up in 1977 as a joint venture with a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese company. However, when the government took over the plant in 1982, it was unable to meet the overseas demand due to the poor condition of buildings and equipment, so a new factory was opened in 1986. In 1979, Maldives Nippon Corporation was formed, in partnership with the Marubeni Corporation of Japan, to process and can fresh tuna. In the same year, the Maldives Fisheries Corporation was formed to exploit fish wealth. (The MFC later became the Fisheries Projects Implementation Department (FPID), which was transformed into MIFCO

Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company

The Maldives Industrial fisheries company, MIFCO, is a public company engaged in the production, processing and marketing of fish and fishery products...

in 1993).

When the Japanese pulled out, the government negotiated a deal to buy the three freezer and six collector vessels that belonged to them, which then became part of the State Trading Organization

State Trading Organization

The State Trading Organization or STO is a public company with 92.29% of the shares owned by the Maldivian Government with the rest 7.71% being held by the public after the IPO a couple of years ago...

(STO) fleet. However, by the time that STO inherited the Japanese fleet; the vessels were over twenty years old. A new fleet of vessels was acquired. Three mother ships were built in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

and nine collector vessels were constructed in Malé

Malé

Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...

. A boat yard was built on the island of Alifushi and the construction of one hundred second-generation Mark II dhoanis was begun. These dhoanis were sold to the fishermen on a lease-purchase basis. The opening up of the exclusive economic zone

Exclusive Economic Zone

Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...

(EEZ), for fisheries proved to be a boon to the country’s fishing industry.

Fish Cannery

The first fish canning plant was established on the island of Felivaru

Felivaru

' is owned by the government of Maldives. The company specializes in producing highest quality canned tuna and cooked loins for local and export markets....

, as a joint venture with a Japanese firm, in 1977.
In 1982, the government took over the cannery, but the condition of the original buildings, equipment seriously limited production, and the cannery was not able to meet the increasing demand of an expanding overseas market. In 1987, a new cannery and cooling/freezing plant opened. The work was done buy the NORAD project(Norwegians and Englishmen). The Norwegians built the buildings, while the Englishmen worked the unsteady ground underneath. The plant was fully opened September/October 1987. The new Felivaru Tuna Processing Plant has its own electricity, a desalination

Desalination

Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove some amount of salt and other minerals from saline water...

plant, water storage tanks and an ice making plant. While this 150,000 cans per hour plant increased production, it was still unable to meet the rising overseas demand for Maldive tuna.

Development

White sandy beaches, clear waters, and waving palms under blue skies make Maldives a tourist destination

Tourist destination

A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...

. Tourism was introduced to the Maldives in the early 1970s. The first two resort islands had a capacity of 280 beds. The first tourists arrived mostly as individuals or small groups. Soon, Maldives began to be recognized as an international tourist destination.

In 1972, the first tourist resort, Kurumba Village, (today a five star hotel), was pioneered by two Maldivian entrepreneurs in association with an Italian investor. A second resort was opened the same year on the island of Bandos. Despite the basic facilities and services, 1,096 tourist arrivals were recorded that year.

At the start, the country’s tourism and its development was for the most part dependent on private initiative. In 1979, the tourism law was enacted, requiring all foreign investments to be registered at the Department of Tourism and Foreign Investment. A tourism master plan was formulated in 1983, setting up guidelines for the overall development of tourism, and identifying tourism zones in different parts of the country. In 1984, the tourism advisory board was created. The department of tourism was upgraded to a ministry in 1988.

The opening of Malé International Airport

Malé International Airport

Ibrahim Nasir International Airport , more commonly known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Hulhulé Airport, is the main international airport in the Maldives...

in 1981 was an important milestone in the travel business. At the early stages, tourism in Maldives was a seasonal industry. As the country opened up further, this seasonal nature of tourism changed. In the early 21st century tourist arrivals were recorded throughout the year. During 1987, a school of hotel and catering was established to meet the manpower requirements of the industry. Both government and private sector provide overseas training to those employed in the industry.

The private sector and the government are actively involved in the promotion and marketing of the tourism product. Maldives is represented in all major international travel fairs by both the government and the private operators. The tourist information counter at the Malé International Airport hands out leaflets and other information about the country. The Tourist Information Unit was formed in 1989 to further disseminate information.

The development of tourism has fostered the overall growth of the country’s economy. It has created direct and indirect employment and income generation opportunities in other related industries. Today, tourism is the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner, contributing nearly a fifth of the GDP.

With 86 tourist resorts in operation, the year 2000 recorded 467,154 tourist arrivals.

Tourist Facilities

Each tourist resort is situated on an uninhabited island. The islands are self-contained, with its own electricity, water and waste disposal facilities. The islands are developed according to the standards and guidelines set by the Ministry of Tourism. While all modern facilities are available, the islands retain its unique natural beauty. The designs feature local architectural concepts as well as international style. A variety of services and facilities are available to guests, to make visits comfortable, pleasant and memorable.

Maldives Tourism Promotion Board

The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board was established by the government to promote quality and sustainable growth in the country’s tourism industry and to foster a well utilized and financially healthy private sector industry. - in this way enabling the industry to deliver long term economic, social and cultural benefits to the people of Maldives, whilst at the same time contributing to enhancements in Maldives’ marine environment to the benefit of the people and visitors of the Maldives.

MATI

Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working towards the sustainable development of the country’s tourism industry. Its membership is open to those engaged in the travel trade business. MATI coordinates its activities with the government and work in partnership with other national and international organizations.