Maldives Resilient Reefs launch #FishForTomorrow campaign

On World Oceans Day, BLUE’s Maldives Resilient Reefs project launches #FishForTomorrow in the Maldives. The campaign aims to familiarise Maldivian people with species found on coral reefs that are vulnerable to overexploitation and to educate citizens on how to fish responsibly – to make sure we all have Fish for Tomorrow.

Listen to our podcast on the campaign here:

This campaign is particularly timely as COVID-19  has resulted in a loss of jobs in the Maldives.  Now, with less  income and  with more spare time on their hands,  many  Maldivians have  turned to fishing  for  food,  income  and leisure.  Unfortunately, it has become clear that  some  remain  unaware of  the vulnerability of species  like  giant clams and groupers.

Ali Shareef, Laamu Research Assistant says: “Fishing is a way of life for us, but if we don’t fish in the right way, we could end up destroying our own reefs that we depend on so heavily for coastal protection, food and income.”

Running for four weeks, #FishForTomorrow aims to educate Maldivians why vulnerable species populations need careful management. Vivienne Evans, Blue Marine Foundation’s International Project Manager says: “Most of us wouldn’t believe that a coral reef fish can live longer then a leopard but many of them do. Yet we exploit fish on astronomical scales by comparison. We can’t keep fishing in this way.”