A new Fishermen’s Community and Training Centre (FCTC) is opening in the Maldives to provide long-term support for the country’s pole and line fishing communities.
The centre will provide a series of free training courses to school leavers and active pole and line fishermen.
These courses will focus on responsible fishing practices aimed at improving the sustainability and efficiency of the Maldives’ pole and line tuna fishery, ensuring the industry’s capability for the future.
Stefan Schöbi, representative of the Migros Engagement Fund, said: “The Maldives pole and line fishery directly supports more than 30,000 people, which represents as much as 15% of the country’s total workforce. Therefore, it was our Engagement Development Fund’s firm belief that this new centre will prove an extremely valuable asset to coastal communities.”
“The opening of this centre marks our collective, and considerable efforts, in building a stronger and commercially competitive pole and line fishing industry for this country, while directly supporting the local fishermen and their communities,” added John Burton, chairman, IPNLF.
Instructors both at the centre and travelling throughout the Maldives will teach a range of subjects, from post-harvest quality control to improve recording to catch and fishing effort, to safety at sea.
The training material will eventually form the basis for a formal Maldives curriculum on pole and line Master Fishermen Training.
The FCTC is supported by Switzerland’s Migros Group’s Engagement Fund in collaboration with the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF), and will be run by the Maldives Fishermen’s Association (MFA).
