Maldives Grouper Management Plan 2020

AUGUST 2020 DRAFT

Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources & Agriculture Malé, Maldives

Table of Contents

List of Tables ...... 3 List of Figures ...... 3 Abbreviations ...... 4 Part 1: Preamble ...... 5 1.1 Introduction and Title ...... 5 1.2 Scope and Application ...... 5 1.3 Guiding Principles ...... 6 1.4 Interpretation ...... 6 1.5 Entry into Force ...... 6 Part 2: Habitat, Biology and Behaviour ...... 7 2.1 Introduction ...... 7 2.2 Habitat ...... 7 2.3 Reproductive Biology and Key Behavioural and Physiological Traits ...... 7 2.4 Ecological Niche ...... 8 Part 3: Overview of the Fishery ...... 10 3.1 Grouper Species Commonly Landed in the Maldives ...... 10 3.2 Fishery ...... 11 3.3 Processing & Export ...... 12 Part 4: Purpose, Objectives and Strategies ...... 13 4.1 Overall Purpose ...... 13 4.2 Objectives and Strategies...... 14 Part 5: Previous Management Measures ...... 21 Part 6: Management Measures Under This Plan ...... 22 6.1 Establishment of an Advisory Committee ...... 22 6.2 Licensing ...... 24 6.3 Legal Size Requirements ...... 30 6.4 Protected Grouper Spawning Aggregation Sites ...... 31 6.5 Best Practices ...... 34 6.6 Involvement of foreign nationals in grouper fishery operations ...... 34 6.7 Export Requirements ...... 35 6.8 Precautionary Measures ...... 36 6.9 Offences and Penalties ...... 37 Part 7: Implementation of the Plan ...... 40

Part 8: Reviewing the Management Plan ...... 40 References ...... 41 Annex 1: Glossary ...... 44 Annex 2: Photo Identification of Key Grouper Species ...... 47

List of Tables

Table 1: List of Commonly Found Grouper Species in the Maldives ...... 10 Table 2: Breakdown of each objective, by strategies, actions, time frame and responsible parties...... 15 Table 3: Details of license categories, their respective fees and period of validity ...... 29 Table 4: Legal size requirements for grouper species ...... 30 Table 5: Listed of offenses and their respective penalties ...... 37

List of Figures

Figure 1: Grouper exports from Maldives, 2012-2019 ...... 13 Figure 2: List of Protected Grouper Aggregation Sites ...... 34

Abbreviations

FAD Fish Aggregating Devices

FIS Fisheries Information System

IGO Intergovernmental Organisation

LGA Local Government Authority

MCS Monitoring, Control and Surveillance

MCS* Maldives Customs Services

ME Ministry of Environment

MFDA Maldives Food and Drug Authority

MIRA Maldives Inland Revenue Authority

MMRI Maldives Marine Research Institute

MNDF-CG Maldives National Defence Force, Coast Guard

MoED Ministry of Economic Development

MoFMRA Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture

MoT Ministry of Tourism

MPS Maldives Police Services

RFMOs Regional Fisheries Management Organisations

SWIOFC Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission

TAE Total Allowable Exports

TAC Total Allowable Catch

Maldives Grouper Management Plan - Draft

Part 1: Preamble

1.1 Introduction and Title

1.1.1 The plan shall be cited as “Maldives Grouper Management Plan” (herein referred to as the Plan).

1.1.2 The Plan is made pursuant to Section 18 of the Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives) and constitutes a regulation made under this Act. It replaces the “Management Plan for the Maldives Grouper Fishery”, and the “Grouper Fishery and Export Regulation” which were made pursuant to Law No. (5/87), the “Fisheries Law of the Maldives” which has been superseded.

1.1.3 The Plan provides for the management of the fishery stated in reference to Section 17(a)(6) of the Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives).

1.2 Scope and Application

1.2.1 Species and Activities

(a) This Plan shall apply to all species belonging to the subfamily Epinephelinae (family Serranidae, order Perciformes), that are classified as ‘groupers’.

(b) This Plan shall apply to all activities carried out in the Maldives that may impact the grouper resources, including but not limited to fishing, fishing related activities, processing, trading and exporting of groupers from the Maldives.

1.2.2 Parties

(a) The Plan applies to all parties engaging in all activities targeting species listed in 1.2.1

(b) The Plan also applies to parties, vessels, processing and export facilities or places engaged in or otherwise connected with any activity within the scope of this plan

1.2.3 Exemption

The management measures in this Plan shall not apply to persons or parties who are undertaking an activity within the scope of this Plan for research purposes with a valid research permit issued by the Ministry under Research Regulation 2020.

1.3 Guiding Principles

1.3.1 Precautionary Approach: Timely and cost-effective measures shall be taken to safeguard ecosystems and prevent irreparable damage to them despite lack of full scientific certainty

1.3.2 Ecosystem-based management: The various and variety of interactions within an ecosystem, including anthropogenic elements shall be recognised, as opposed to accounting for matters, species, or ecosystem services in isolation

1.3.3 Sustainable Development: In developing the fishery, the needs of the present shall be met without compromising the ability of the future generations to benefit from the resource

1.3.4 Equity: Resources shall be acknowledged as shared and common goods and benefits obtained from utilisation of resources shall be shared in a fair and just manner among all through the application of transparency, legitimacy, accountability and decentralisation

1.3.5 Participatory Approach: All stakeholders, particularly those who are directly affected by a policy or a measure shall be engaged in the decision-making process to ensure inclusivity and consensus-oriented outcomes

1.4 Interpretation

1.4.1 This Plan shall be interpreted and applied in the context of and in a manner consistent with Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives).

1.4.2 Unless stated otherwise, words or expressions used in this Plan have been given the meaning specified in Annex 1: Glossary.

1.5 Entry into Force

1.5.1 This Plan shall come into force on the day it is published in the Government Gazette.

Part 2: Habitat, Biology and Behaviour

2.1 Introduction

Groupers are a diverse group of economically significant fish, generally classified as belonging to various genera of the subfamily Epinephelinae (family Serranidae, order Perciformes). Most of the groupers are found within the genera Epinephelus and Mycteroperca. There are approximate 160 recorded species of groupers in 16 genera (Zhuang et al., 2013) of which, 40-45 species are found in the Maldives (Adam & Sattar, 2005).

2.2 Habitat

Groupers are wide spread and distributed across the globe, however habitat specifications do vary dependant on species and life cycle stage. In general, juvenile groupers may typically be found in near shore habitats such as seagrass beds, coral clumps, and other nursery habitats. Mature groupers commonly inhabit the bottom of tropical and subtropical marine habitats and are especially strongly associated with stony environments and coral reefs (Frisch et al., 2016), at depths of 0 to 200 m, occasionally 500 m (Shapiro et al., 1993).

2.3 Reproductive Biology and Key Behavioural and Physiological Traits

Groupers exhibit a diverse array of reproductive systems and behaviours, however many share common traits. While some grouper species are gonochoristic, most groupers are monandric protogynous hermaphrodites, that is, they mature as females and have the ability to transform into males, following sexual maturity and dependant on sex ratio at aggregations, amongst other factors(Shapiro et al., 1993). Groupers are K-selected species that are long lived, slow growing and reach sexual maturity comparatively late (Morris et al., 2000).

While they do not exhibit schooling behaviour, and some groupers are non-aggregating or form multi- male clusters (Sadovy et al., 1994), the majority groupers form spawning aggregations of varying sizes depending on the species, with some species exhibiting high site fidelity (Robinson et al., 2008). These aggregations typically occur during new or full moons (Domeier & Colin, 1997). During aggregations, several species of groupers exhibit pair spawning, which allows for dominant males to monopolize matings and competitively exclude other males (Erisman et al., 2009). This spawning activity may last

few days to a week and at times may be spread over several months (Coleman et al., 1999). Research indicates that the locations of several such aggregations are common knowledge amongst many Maldivian fishers and their targeting is quickly becoming common practice (Tamelander et al., 2008). Aggregation fishing has been a known and documented cause of stock decline in other parts of the world (Sadovy & Domeier, 2005). For example, the Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, was once landed in high numbers across the Caribbean and tropical western Atlantic, but is now classified as 'endangered' under the IUCN Red List (Musick et al., 2000). Alongside aggregation fishing, the various behavioural and biological idiosyncrasies of epinephelines make them both easy targets for fishers and highly susceptible to overfishing.

During these mating events, female groupers release eggs which are fertilised by the sperm released by male groupers. Once fertilised eggs hatch, they form larvae which float along with the currents, before becoming juveniles that inhabit shallow habitats. Mature groupers move to deeper waters and corals reefs. Most of these naturally rare species typically spend the majority of their adult lives solitarily (Craig et al., 1993).

(To insert life cycle diagram and explanation)

2.4 Ecological Niche

Groupers form a variety of associations and relationships with other species, filling an important ecological niche where they occur. These include feeding associations, transferring of energy along the food chain and symbiotic relationships. For example, groupers are sometimes known to form interspecific feeding associations with eels and octopuses to hunt their prey (Bshary et al., 2006). While groupers are top predators in coral reef ecosystems, they are not fast or long-distance swimmers, but rather ambush predators, that use their powerful jaws and gills to create suction and draw prey into their mouths (Craig et al., 1993). They do not have teeth but the teeth plates located in the pharynx are similarly used to mash the prey. Mature groupers’ diets are composed of fish and invertebrates like large crustaceans and cephalopods. Juvenile groupers feed on crustaceans such as crab and shrimp (Dierking et al., 2009; Jory & Iverson, 1989).

Groupers themselves have a host of associated predators, including some sharks, barracudas and eels (Jory & Iverson, 1989). Some predators, in particular megafauna, also target spawning aggregations and form short-term trophic levels in relation to them (Harley et al., 2001).

The extirpation of spawning aggregations from an area could not only impact these predators but can cause devasting consequences for the ecosystem, at large (Sadovy & Domeier, 2005).

However, parasites also present a key challenge; these include isopods, larval tapeworms, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes. Consequently, some groupers frequently visit wrasse cleaning stations to help clear parasites (Frisch et al., 2016).

Part 3: Overview of the Fishery

3.1 Grouper Species Commonly Landed in the Maldives

Below is a non-exhaustive list of grouper species commonly landed in the commercial grouper fishery In the Maldives, identified through catch sampling by MMRI from 2018-2020. The landings data indicates that the top 10 most commonly landed species account for over 90% of all landings, with Cephalopholis argus (22%), Aethaloperca rogaa (20%), Anyperodon leucogrammicus (10%) and Variola louti (9%) landings occupying a significant share of the catch composition. Despite the preference of certain species of high value, the catch proportion has varied indicating an underlying change in abundance (Marine Research Centre, 2011). While not listed here, it has also been noted that several deep-water species have been recorded in the recreational fishery, which uses jigging to target deeper water species.

Table 1: List of Commonly Found Grouper Species in the Maldives

Species Name Common Name Local Name Cephalopholis argus Peacock hind Mas faana Aethaloperca rogaa Red mouth grouper Ginimas faana Anyperodon leucogrammicus Slender grouper Boalhajehi faana Variola louti Yellow-edged lyretail Kanduhaa Cephalopholis miniata Coral hind Koveli faana Plectropomus areolatus Squaretail coral grouper Olhu faana Plectropomus pessuliferus Roving coral grouper Dhon olhu faana Epinephelus polyphekadion Camouflage grouper Kula faana Epinephelus spilotoceps Foursaddle grouper Asdhaanu faana Plectropomus laevis Blacksaddled coral grouper Kula olhu faana Epinephelus macrospilos Snubnose grouper Fijjehi faana Epinephelus ongus White-streaked grouper Kirulhi faana Variola albimarginata White-edged lyretail Kanduraiyhaa Epinephelus fuscoguttatus Brown-marbled grouper Kas faana Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus Whitespotted grouper Hudhulah faana Cephalopholis sexmaculata Sixblotch hind Landaa faana Epinephelus tauvina Greasy grouper Londhi faana Epinephelus flavocaeruleus Blue-and-yellow grouper Dhon-noo faana Epinephelus areolatus Areolate grouper Thijjehi faana Epinephelus longispinis Longspine grouper Kooru faana Cephalopholis sonnerati Tomato hind Veli faana Epinephelus merra Honeycomb grouper Lah faana Epinephelus multinotatus White-blotched grouper Baafothi faana

Epinephelus fasciatus Blacktip grouper Raiygalhi faana Epinephelus miliaris Netfin grouper Kurehi faana Gracila albomarginata Masked grouper Boakuda faana Epinephelus chlorostigma Brownspotted grouper Kulhandhuru faana Cephalopholis nigripinnis Blackfin grouper NA

3.2 Fishery

3.2.1 Development of the fishery

A targeted grouper fishery did not exist in the Maldives prior to the inception of the export-based grouper fishery in the early 1990s and groupers that were locally consumed were mostly caught within the reef fishery. However, the fishery has since rapidly expanded due to the demand from Southeast Asian markets. The grouper fishery in the Maldives at the present, is a specialised fishery which mostly caters to the export industry. High demand and market prices led to an increasing interest in the fishery, and fishing for these high valued species was extended to all areas of Maldives, with exporters establishing their collection points in different atolls. Exporter-owned collector vessels make rounds to collect the catch from fishermen, typically twice a week. At present only two of these points have cages deployed. Some fishers who operate from smaller vessels or dinghies, many of whom do not actively engage in the grouper fishery as their sole income generating activity, have their own smaller cages to hold their catch until collector vessels arrive.

3.2.2 Fishing methods

The grouper fishing method has undergone significant evolution over the years. While in the early years, fishers stayed on board and used weighted handlines to target groupers, fishers now use snorkelling equipment and directly enter the water to catch groupers using Visually Aided Handlines. When the snorkelling fishers, who are typically spread out across the stretch of any given reef, spot a grouper, a baited line is sunk to attract it, and the harvested groupers are collected in floating baskets tethered to the fisher. A recently trending method which is similar to a flying gaff is also used in the grouper fishery, targeted to catch large aggregating groupers such as Epinephelus fuscoguttatus and Plectropomus areolatus. The gear is mostly used at the aggregation sites at night during the aggregation periods. Groupers are spotted by free diving and using flashlights, once spotted fishers hook the grouper using the gaff and slowly ascends with it.

Grouper fishing was previously restricted to the atolls in which fishers lived, however with the expansion of the fishery and the mechanization and development of the fleet, inter-atoll fishing and longer fishing trips have become the norm for full time grouper fishers. This also allows fishers better access to productive fishing grounds.

3.2.3 Socio-economic aspects

Information received from the island councils showed that in 2018, a total of 146 vessels and 730 fishers are engaged in grouper fishing. The data also showed that grouper fishers were distributed across 31 islands, in 13 atolls. However, the majority of the stakeholders were from 7 islands. Due to poor availability of data, it is not possible to present a more detailed analysis on the intricacies of the socioeconomics of this fishery. Over the course of the past 5 years, as identified through data available from Maldives Customs Service, there have been a total of 12 exporters, with 7 main export companies involved in the industry. Total revenue generated (FOB) from grouper exports has fluctuated over the years, with the fresh/chilled component of exports over taking the higher value live exports in 2003.

The current research from MMRI shows that as much as 70% of the groupers currently being caught are under sized, or have not reached maturity size. While establishing size limits is crucial to the sustainable management of the fishery, this has the potential for some serious immediate repercussions for fishers.

Conflicts between the tourism sector and the reef associated fisheries sectors also remains an important issue. The boundary areas of tourist resorts being uncertain and the limits of such boundaries differing from case to case has been a cause of confusion. There is much work being done in this regard to make this information readily available to fishers through maps and other means.

The continued loss of important fishing grounds has also been a major concern of stakeholders. Fishers have noted that the unsheltered reefs they had been fishing from prior to the 2004 Tsunami have been severely damaged and the bleaching events that followed have exacerbated this damage. Declaration of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) without thorough consultation with fishers and mining of sand for developmental projects from key fishing grounds are also noted issues in this regard.

3.3 Processing & Export

Export based data is officially maintained solely by the MCS*, documenting quantities and values declared at the time of export. Furthermore, proforma data which is for the most part segregated by species and weight is also maintained at the Ministry. This data is received by the Maldives Customs

Service at the time of export and is shared with the Ministry digitally. As discussed previously, export data indicates a decline in higher value live exports (Marine Research Centre, 2011), with fresh and chilled grouper exports taking prominence. It is hypothesized that this pattern indicates a decline in catches higher value species.

Export quantities averaged 871t from 2012 to 2018, with the percentage of live exports fluctuating between 10-15%. However, the exports in 2019 show a remarkable deviation from this trend, with total exports being 1538t and live exports accounting for 44% of the total exports.

1800000 90000000 1600000 80000000 1400000 70000000 1200000 60000000 1000000 50000000 800000 40000000 600000 30000000 400000 20000000 200000 10000000 0 0

Live Fresh/Chilled/Frozen CIF

Figure 1: Grouper exports from Maldives, 2012-2019

Part 4: Purpose, Objectives and Strategies

4.1 Overall Purpose

4.1.1 The overall purpose of the Plan is to:

a) sustainably manage the grouper resources, through establishment of an effective management regime for the grouper fishery and trade and any other activities that impact the grouper resources, thereby ensuring that future generations continue to benefit from them; and

b) act as the primary basis for guiding the authorities as well as stakeholders in the sustainable development of the grouper fishery and trade.

4.2 Objectives and Strategies

4.2.1 The plan comprises of five specific objectives;

(1) Ensure all activities associated with the harvest and trade of groupers are carried out in an environmentally sound manner most beneficial to Maldivians through the application of principles of sustainability, ecosystem-based management and the Precautionary Approach.

(2) Implement Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and strengthen data collection and data reporting mechanisms for the grouper fishery and trade.

(3) Prioritise evidence-based policymaking through the collection of biological, ecological, and socio-economic data on the grouper fishery and associated resources.

(4) Ensure equitable benefits to all Maldivians and improve their livelihoods through decentralised development of the grouper fishery and trade.

(5) Increase education and awareness amongst stakeholders and the general public.

4.2.2 Strategies and actions developed to achieve these objectives are summarised in Table 2.

Table 2: Breakdown of each objective, by strategies, actions, time frame and responsible parties.

Objective 1: Ensure all activities associated with the harvest and trade of groupers are carried out in an environmentally sound manner most beneficial to Maldivians through the application of principles of sustainability, ecosystem-based management and the Precautionary Approach Strategy Action Time frame Responsible parties 1.1.1 Establish, maintain and manage new and existing o MoFMRA protected grouper spawning aggregation sites to Immediate o MMRI provide a form of protection to mature spawning o Local Councils populations. 1.1.2 Establish legal harvest size limits for key grouper o MoFMRA species to reduce fishing pressure on immature Immediate o MMRI fish. 1.1 Ensure the protection of 1.1.3 Establish a system of quotas (based on Total the reproductive capacity Allowable Catch or Total Allowable Exports) for of the grouper stock by the specific species or the fishery, if and when o MoFMRA conserving existing and Long-term populations are deemed (through best available o MMRI potential spawning stock. (5 - 10 years) evidence) likely to be fished to levels that would o MCS* impede recovery in a reasonably short time period. 1.1.4 Enact export and/or harvest bans for grouper species, if and when populations are deemed o MoFMRA Long-term (through best available evidence) likely to be o MMRI (5 - 10 years) fished to levels that would impede recovery in a o MCS* reasonably short time period.

1.2 Promote the use of 1.2.1 Implement and enforce the restriction on the use o MoFMRA environmentally friendly of any fishing method or gear prohibited by the Immediate o MPS gears and techniques in Fisheries Act or any other regulations made o MNDF-CG the grouper fishery pursuant to it, as applicable.

o MoFMRA 1.2.2 Prohibit the use of SCUBA gear, gaffs and lights Immediate o MPS for the targeting of grouper species o MNDF-CG

1.2.3 Implement and enforce the ban on spearfishing for groupers with spear guns and/or other such o MoFMRA equipment with a trigger mechanism as well as Immediate o MPS ban on all spearfishing targeting grouper o MNDF-CG aggregations 1.3 Maintain a leading role in regional fishery bodies (RFBs) and relevant 1.3.1 Actively participate in the scientific and o MoFMRA Intergovernmental management processes of SWIOFC and other Immediate o MMRI Organisations (IGOs) in relevant regional and international bodies management and conservation of groupers

1.4.1 Construct and operate multispecies hatcheries Long-term o MMRI and demonstration farms to facilitate aquaculture (5–10 years) o MoFMRA operations

1.4 Reduce pressure on the wild stock through the 1.4.2 Plan and implement pilot and commercial Medium-term o MMRI introduction and grouper grow-out programmes and ensure their (3 – 5 years) o MoFMRA promotion of grouper sustainability aquaculture

1.4.3 Engage the private sector as input suppliers and Medium-term o MMRI buyers in the pilot grouper grow-out programmes (3 – 5 years) o MoFMRA to ensure commercialization of the activity

Objective 2: Implement Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and strengthen data collection and data reporting mechanisms for the grouper fishery and trade.

Strategy Action Time frame Responsible parties

2.1.1 Establish licensing arrangements for commercial o MoFMRA grouper fishing vessels to understand the scale of Immediate o Local Councils the fishery

2.1.2 Establish licensing arrangements for grouper o MoFMRA processing facilities to effectively monitor Immediate o MFDA 2.1 Establish an effectively methods and scale of processing controlled and monitored trade flow 2.1.3 Establish licensing arrangements to monitor o MoFMRA operations of third-parties (resellers) trading Immediate o Local Councils grouper species to exporters or tourism markets

2.1.4 Establish registration arrangements in Fisheries o MoFMRA Information System (FIS), Keyolhu, to control and Immediate o MCS* monitor grouper trade

2.2.1 Require harvesters to submit catch-log data to the Ministry to effectively monitor grouper catch o MoFMRA Immediate rates and effort and obtain other important fishery o Local Councils dependant data 2.2.2 Require any third-parties (resellers) trading 2.2 Establish an efficient o MoFMRA grouper species to exporters or tourism markets to documentation scheme for Immediate o MoT maintain and submit transaction log records to the grouper fishery o MoED Ministry 2.2.3 Require grouper processors to maintain and submit purchase records, by species and quantity Immediate o MoFMRA to the Ministry

2.2.4 Maintain and manage existing catch certification mechanism to ensure all export consignments are Immediate o MoFMRA accompanied by a catch certificate.

o MoFMRA 2.3.1 Work with other government agencies (e.g. MCS*, o MFDA Immediate MFDA, MIRA) to monitor exports o MIRA o MCS* 2.3.2 Conduct trainings in species identification for o MoFMRA Maldives Customs Service officials and other Immediate o MMRI inspectors o MCS* 2.3 Establish an effective 2.3.3 Conduct spot checks at grouper processing o MoFMRA monitoring and facilities and the airport to ensure compliance to Immediate o MCS* enforcement system to relevant requirements, in particular the size limits o MMRI ensure effective 2.3.4 Expand existing Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) compliance o MoFMRA to incorporate commercial grouper fishing vessels Long-term o MNDF-CG via GSM based VMS or other cost-effective vessel (5 - 10 years) o MPS tracking technologies 2.3.5 Educate fishers, traders, processors and exporters about new and existing regulations via workshops, o MoFMRA Immediate trainings, campaigns, or dissemination of o MMRI information materials Objective 3: Prioritise evidence-based policymaking through the collection of biological, ecological, and socio-economic data on the grouper fishery and associated resources Strategy Action Time frame Responsible parties

3.1 Improve data collection on 3.1.1 Implement nationwide biological studies, size biological, ecological, and sampling, maturity studies and monitoring Immediate o MMRI socio-economic aspects of programmes for groupers grouper fishery to support 3.1.2 Gather geographical information on fishing o MMRI evidence-based Immediate policymaking grounds using fishery data and field surveys in o MoFMRA

order to study the spatio-temporal exploitation patterns in grouper fishery

3.1.3 Conduct grouper tagging studies at grouper Long-term o MMRI aggregation sites (5 - 10 years)

3.1.4 Conduct series of socio-economic surveys every 4 o MoFMRA years to identify and understand the scale of Immediate o Local Councils grouper fishery in the Maldives

3.1.5 Implement a citizen science monitoring Medium-term programme to collect and record photographic o MMRI (3 – 5 years) and observational data on grouper aggregations

Objective 4: Ensure equitable benefits to all Maldivians and improve their livelihoods through decentralised development of the grouper fishery and trade. Strategy Action Time frame Responsible parties 4.1.1 Promote aquaculture to provide an alternative livelihood for grouper fishers and ensure that existing grouper fishing communities and fishers Medium-term o MMRI are prioritised in enabling access to facilities, tools (3 – 5 years) o MoFMRA 4.1 Increase profitability for and knowledge needed to engage in the grouper fishing aquaculture sector communities 4.1.2 Expand the import duty exemption scheme to incorporate projects aimed at value addition of o MoFMRA Immediate groupers, including items imported for grouper o MCS* fishing vessel development

4.2 Foster new market 4.3.1 Provide support for the establishment of Medium-term opportunities for grouper o MoFMRA cooperatives within grouper fishing communities (3 – 5 years) fishing communities

4.3.2 Facilitate access to financial mechanisms for Medium-term o MoFMRA cooperatives (3 – 5 years) o SDFC

4.3.3 Facilitate market access to maximise economic returns to grouper fishers and exporters through Medium-term o MoFMRA addressing the necessary administrative requirements

4.3.4 Establish, maintain and update a fishers’ registry, o MoFMRA Masveringe Dhaftharu, to understand fishing Immediate o Local Councils community dependence on grouper resources 4.3 Identify and engage stakeholders to ensure that 4.3.5 Engage with stakeholders and take their views o MoFMRA policy decisions are made into account in the implementation of Immediate o Local Councils through a participatory management measures approach

4.3.6 Work in close liaison with key grouper fishing o MoFMRA Immediate communities and traders o Local Councils

Objective 5: Increase education and awareness amongst stakeholders and the general public.

Strategy Action Time frame Responsible parties

5.1.1 Based on data availability, compile and o MoFMRA 5.1 Promote awareness and disseminate information on: o MMRI understanding of the • status; o MoED grouper fishery and its Annual • fishery; o MIRA contribution to the • trade and exports; o MCS* Maldives economy • revenue to Maldives o NBS

Part 5: Previous Management Measures

Documentation of efforts to sustainably manage the grouper fishery in the Maldives through research and generating awareness amongst stakeholder can be dated back to as far as the 1990s. The efforts culminated in the development of a grouper management plan in 2011, which established agreed steps to ensure that the fishery is biologically sustainable and that people who depend on the grouper fishery for their livelihood continue to benefit from the resource. The management plan covered a variety of issues surrounding the grouper fishery and recommended a set of theoretical size limits, through the principle of Precautionary Approach. It also proposed the closure of five grouper aggregation sites, the first of their kind in the history of fisheries management in the Maldives. While the management plan was developed after extensive consultation and research, it did not have any legal standing and thus, Regulation No. 2013/R-41 “Regulation on Grouper Fishing and Exporting Groupers from the Maldives” was developed to enforce the measures recommended within the management plan.

Measures under the regulation included requiring grouper fishing vessels that trade with exporters to acquire a fishing license. Licensing requirements were also extended to grouper holding and processing facilities, including vessels and cages. The regulation also set forth the minimum quality requirements of grouper exports from the country and required each grouper shipment to be accompanied by a catch certificate. Furthermore, offences and penalties were outlined, alongside the MCS framework that would be established alongside the implementation of the regulation. The regulation also established a Fishery Management Advisory Board for the grouper fishery, also the first of its kind in the country. The two most important measures introduced in the regulation were however, the protected grouper spawning aggregation sites and legal harvest and export size limits, as per the recommendations in the management plan. The minimum, and for some species maximum, legal sizes were set to preserve the juveniles and allow them to contribute to the spawning population. Due to unavailability of biological information such as length at maturity from local grouper populations, the proposed minimum harvest sizes based on theoretical length at maturity (half the maximum length reported in literature) as reported in the 2005 review (Adam & Sattar, 2005). However, after extensive consultations with stakeholders, the initially proposed sizes were revised, and considerably lower sizes were adopted and the amended regulation was re-published in the Government Gazette as 2014/R-376.

In order to refine the size limits, MMRI has recently conducted maturity studies, supported by the World Bank, Sustainable Fisheries Resource Development Project, to determine the length at maturity (L50) for four of the commercially important and highly exploited species; E. fuscoguttatus, E. polyphekadeon, P. areolatus and P. pessuliferus.

Part 6: Management Measures Under This Plan

The grouper fishery and trade remain lucrative economic activities for Maldivians, with groupers continuing to be the second most exported species group from Maldives over several years, in terms of the proportion of revenue generated from marine exports. As discussed in Section 2, groupers play a fundamental role in supporting the health and productivity of ecosystems and as such, it is critical that timely management measures and best practices are introduced through legislative instruments, to ensure that this important resource is sustainably managed to the benefit of the stakeholders and future generations.

The management measures discussed below were formulated through dedicated and extensive research under the World Bank funded Sustainable Fisheries Resources Development Project (SFRDP) and through a participatory stakeholder consultation process and have been endorsed by the Grouper Fishery Management Advisory Committee.

6.1 Establishment of an Advisory Committee

6.1.1 An advisory committee (herein referred to as the Committee) will be established to advise the Ministry on policy matters relating to the grouper fishery, and the conservation, management, sustainable development, research, and trade of groupers.

6.1.2 The Committee shall be appointed by the Minister within three months of implementation of the plan, and will comprise of the following members:

(a) A Chairperson (head of the Fisheries Division)

(b) A scientist from MMRI

(d) 2 representatives of grouper exporters

(e) A representative from the Ministry of Environment

(f) A representative from the Ministry of Economic Development

(g) A representative from the Local Government Authority

(h) A representative from the Maldives Customs Service

(i) A representative from the Maldives Police Service

(j) A representative from a relevant locally registered NGO

6.1.3 The Ministry shall make a public announcement to call for Expression of Interest for the following Committee positions:

• Representatives of grouper fishers • Representatives of grouper exporters • Representative from the NGO

6.1.4 The Fisheries Management Section of the Ministry shall execute the responsibilities of the Secretariat, including maintenance of minutes sharing of relevant documents with Committee members prior to meetings

6.1.5 The Committee may invite specialists/advisors, representatives of industry, or relevant government agencies, relevant regional or international organisations / institutions to specific meetings.

6.1.6 The Committee will meet on a biannual basis with special meetings to be called by the Chairperson when urgent matters arise.

6.1.7 The quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be seven members.

6.1.8 The mandate of the Committee shall be:

(a) Monitoring the implementation of the Plan and providing advice to the Minister on a biannual basis

(b) Discussion of policy matters relating to grouper fishery;

(d) Advising the Ministry on management measures in response to the outcomes and recommendations from the technical reports and stakeholder workshops

6.2 Licensing

6.2.1 The following parties operating within the grouper fishery and trade must require a license:

(a) All commercial fishing vessels

(b) All processing facilities

6.2.2 The commencement of Section 6.2.1 (b) shall begin 6 months from the date on which the Plan is published in the Government Gazette.

6.2.3 The Ministry shall maintain and update a grouper fishers’ registry, Masveringe Dhaftharu.

6.2.4 The general process of application for and issuance of licenses shall be in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Licensing Regulation 2020.

6.2.5 Prior to application for a fishing license, the applicant shall ensure the following requirements of the vessels are met:

(a) Vessel is registered at the Maldives Transport Authority

(b) Vessel has a valid Seaworthiness Certificate issued by the Maldives Transport Authority

6.2.6 Terms and conditions of the Fishing License for commercial grouper fishing vessels are:

(a) License

• The captain must keep the license (or a certified copy) on board the vessel at all times

(b) Fishing Area

• All vessels shall operate strictly within the maritime zones of the Maldives as defined by Act No. 6/96 (Maldives Maritime Zones Act)

• The captain must keep a log book onboard the vessel at all times and produce it at the request of a fisheries ranger or enforcement officer • The captain shall ensure accurate and timely catch log reporting to the Ministry, as per the Data Reporting Guideline published on the Ministry’s website. • All information provided in this manner shall be true, complete, and accurate. • Failure to submit the log or provision of inaccurate or falsified information is an offence.

(d) Cooperating with Enforcement Officers, Fisheries Rangers and Fisheries Observers

• The captain should cooperate fully with all enforcement officer(s), fisheries ranger(s) and fisheries observer(s), as defined by the Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives) and the General Fisheries Regulation 2020

(e) Prohibited Activities

The captain or master shall refrain from and ensure crew of the vessels refrain from, engaging in any if the activities listed below:

• Using SCUBA gear, gaffs and lights for the targeting of grouper species;

• Harvesting, retaining on-board, storing on-board, transhipping, transporting to a landing facility or land any grouper species below the size limits established by the Ministry;

• Using spear guns and/or other such equipment with a trigger mechanism for the targeting of groupers;

• Spearfishing while targeting grouper aggregations;

• Fishing within the protected grouper spawning aggregation sites, as designated by the Plan;

• Targeting any species of fish protected under the Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives) or any other laws, regulations and management plans;

• Retaining on-board, storing on-board, transhipping, transporting to a landing facility or land any of the species protected by other laws or regulations in any form;

• Conducting fishing or engaging in any related activities within 3 nm around FADs;

• Acting in contravention of any measures in this Plan or the Fisheries of the Act Maldives or any of the regulations or management plans pursuant to the Act or any pertinent laws or regulations;

• Employment of foreign nationals in the direct harvesting of groupers; and

• Disposal of non-biodegradable waste or chemicals into the sea.

6.2.7 Prior to application for a processing license, the applicant shall ensure the following requirements are met:

(a) Grouper processors must be of Maldivian nationality or if the processing party is a company, it must be registered in the Maldives

(b) The processing facility has a valid hygiene certificate issued by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority.

6.2.8 Terms and Conditions of Processing License are:

(a) Processing Sites, Vessels and Facilities

• A separate licence shall be acquired for each processing site, vessel or facility.

(b) Purchasing

• All purchases made under this licenced must be from a licensed grouper fishing vessel or reseller.

• The methods and conditions of processing should be in accordance with regulations and guidelines established by Maldives Food and Drug Authority. • Processing premises, equipment, packaging materials and tools may be subject to random inspections by the Ministry.

(d) Reporting

• All individuals and parties with the processing licence should submit a purchase report to the Ministry, on a monthly basis, as per the Data Reporting Guideline published on the Ministry’s website. • Purchase report must include, but not be limited to, the following information: o Details of the licensed party from whom the fish was purchased o Vessel that harvested the fish o Purchase date o Species and their respective weight and no. of pieces • All information provided in this manner shall be true, complete, and accurate. • Failure to submit the log or provision of inaccurate or falsified information is an offence. • Licensees shall maintain the confidentiality of the data received from fishers as part of a requirement from the Ministry and not share such data with any other party besides the Ministry.

(e) Size Limits

• All groupers traded and processed under this license shall adhere to the size limits stipulated in this Plan. • Retaining in a processing facility, any groupers under the stipulated size limits shall constitute an offence.

(f) Cooperating with Enforcement Officers, Fisheries Rangers and Fisheries Observers

• The licensee should cooperate fully with all enforcement officer(s) and fisheries ranger(s), as defined by Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives) and the General Fisheries Regulation 2020.

(g) Processing any species without a valid licence

• Acting in contravention of any management measure in this Plan or the Fisheries Act or any of the regulations pursuant to it. • Processing any species without a valid licence.

6.2.9 Terms and Conditions of License for Resellers are:

(a) Ownership

• All third-parties trading grouper species to exporters or tourism markets must be of Maldivian nationality or if the trading party is a company; it must be registered in the Maldives.

(b) Purchasing

• All purchases made under this licenced must be from a licensed grouper fishing vessel.

• All individuals and parties with this licence should submit a purchase report to the Ministry on a monthly basis, as per the Data Reporting Guideline published on the Ministry’s website • Purchase report must include, but not be limited to, the following information: o Details of the licensed party from whom the fish was purchased o Vessel that harvested the fish o Purchase date o Species and their respective weight and quantity • All information provided in this manner shall be true, complete, and accurate. • Failure to submit the log or provision of inaccurate or falsified information is an offence.

• Licensee shall maintain the confidentiality of the data received from fishers with as part of a requirement from the Ministry and not share such data with any other party besides the Ministry.

(d) Size Limits

• All groupers traded and processed under this license shall adhere to the size limits stipulated in this Plan.

(e) Cooperating with Enforcement Officers, Fisheries Rangers and Fisheries Observers

(f) Prohibited Activities

• Acting in contravention of any management measure in this Plan or the Fisheries Act or any of the regulations or management plans pursuant to it. • Trading any species protected by other laws or regulations, in any form

6.2.10 Any aquaculture operations involving grouper species should be carried out as per Aquaculture Regulation 2020 and must acquire a licence as per Licensing Regulation 2020.

6.2.11 The categories, details of the licence fees and the period of validity of the licenses are summarised in 6.2.12 Table 3 below.

Table 3: Details of license categories, their respective fees and period of validity

Licensing Category Duration (months) Fee License to Process Groupers Collector/Processing Vessels 12 500 Land-based Processing Facilities 12 500

Grouper Processing Cages (under 3000 square feet) 12 500 Grouper Processing Cages (3000 square feet and above) 12 1000 License to Harvest Groupers Grouper Fishing Vessels 12 500 License to Trade Grouper Species to Exporters or Tourism Markets as Third Party Resellers Resellers 12 200

6.2.13 The licenses issued under this Plan shall not be transferable.

6.2.14 Where there is a need for the proper management of fisheries, the Ministry may change the conditions of the license whereby such changes will be brought at the time of renewal. However, if urgent changes need to be brought, details of the change shall be publicly announced.

6.2.15 Licenses should be renewed as per the Licensing Regulation 2020 and renewal will be subject to annual reviews and payment of the licence fee.

6.3 Legal Size Requirements

6.3.1 All groupers of the following species should be harvested in accordance with the respective size requirements.

Table 4: Legal size requirements for grouper species

Harvest / Export Scientific Name Common Name (English) Local Name Length (cm) Aethaloperca rogaa Red mouth grouper Ginimas faana >20 Cephalopholis argus Peacock hind Mas faana >20 Cephalopholis miniata Coral hind Koveli faana >20 Cephalopholis sexmaculata Sixblotch hind Landaa faana >20 Cephalopholis sonnerati Tomato hind Veli faana >20 Cephalopholis spiloparaea Strawberry hind NA >20 Cephalopholis urodeta Darkfin hind NA >20 Cephalopholis aurantia Golden hind NA >20 Cephalopholis leopardus Leopard hind NA >20 Epinephelus spilotoceps Four-saddle grouper Asdhaanu faana >20

Epinephelus ongus White streaked grouper Kirulhi faana >20 Variola louti Yellow edged lyretail Kanduhaa >22 Variola albimarginata White edged lyretail Kanduraiyhaa >22 Anyperodon leucogrammicus Slender grouper Boalhajehi faana >25 Epinephelus fasciatus Blacktip grouper Raiygalhi faana >25 Epinephelus macrospilos Snubnose grouper Fijjehi faana >25 Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus White-spotted grouper Hudhulah faana >25 Black-saddled coral >25 Plectropomus laevis Kula olhu faana grouper Epinephelus flavocaeruleus Blue and Yellow grouper Dhon-noo faana >30 Plectropomus areolatus Squaretail coral grouper Thijjehi faana >40 Epinephelus polyphekadion Camouflage grouper Kula faana >40 Plectropomus pessuliferus Roving coral grouper Dhon olhu faana >42 Epinephelus fuscoguttatus Brown-marbled grouper Kas faana >60

6.3.2 No party shall trade or process any grouper species stated in 6.3.2 in contravention of the stipulated lengths.

6.3.3 Any person who engages in the harvesting of grouper species in contravention of the size requirements applicable to that species, shall be liable to penalties as stated in Section 6.9.

6.3.4 Notwithstanding Section 6.3.3, the size limits shall not apply to harvesting of groupers for aquaculture brood stocks, with a special permit granted by the Ministry.

6.4 Protected Grouper Spawning Aggregation Sites

6.4.1 Spatio-temporal closures will be enforced, and rotated every 5 years based on findings and input from the Committee.

6.4.2 No activities barring passage through and research conducted with a valid permit issued by the Ministry, shall be allowed within these closures.

6.4.3 The sites shall be monitored regularly to ascertain the effectiveness of the closures.

6.4.4 The first set of sites to be protected with immediate effect are listed below.

(a) K.Dhiffushi Kanduolhi

(b) Boamas Kandu – Vaavu Atoll

(d) Lh.Aligaa Kanduolhi

(e) Bodu and Kuda kanduolhi – Meemu Atoll

Figure 2: List of Protected Grouper Aggregation Sites; (a) K.Dhiffushi Kanduolhi; (b) Boamas Kandu – Vaavu Atoll; (c) Dh.Kudahuvadhoo Kanduolhi; (d) Lh.Aligaa Kanduolhi; (e) Bodu and Kuda kanduolhi – Meemu Atoll

6.5 Best Practices

6.5.1 The harvesting of groupers should not involve any methods of fishing that are prohibited by Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives) and any pursuant regulations.

6.5.2 The use of SCUBA gear, gaffs and lights for the targeting of grouper species is prohibited.

6.5.3 In the event where any unintentional catch of protected species occurs, the animals should be released immediately without harming, using a method that will result in minimal harm while releasing

6.6 Involvement of foreign nationals in grouper fishery operations

No foreign national shall be engaged in harvesting of groupers for commercial purposes.

6.7 Export Requirements

6.7.1 Ownership of Export Operations

Grouper exporters must be of Maldivian nationality or if the exporting party is a company, it must be registered in the Maldives.

6.7.2 Purchasing

(a) Exporters shall ensure that all purchases are made from a licensed party

(b) Exporters shall record via Fisheries Information System (FIS), Keyolhu daily fish purchases pertaining to but not limited to the following information:

• Details of the licensed party from whom the fish was purchased • Vessel that harvested the fish • Purchase date • Species and their respective weight and quantity

6.7.3 Catch Certificate

(a) Every grouper export consignment shall be accompanied by a catch certificate issued by the Ministry.

(b) Application for the catch certificate shall be submitted via the Fishery Information System (FIS), Keyolhu.

6.7.4 Packing Conditions

(a) All grouper products for export, with the exception of live groupers, shall be packed separately by species.

(b) All export packages shall be clearly labelled with the species name, number of pieces, weight and the licence number of the exporter.

6.7.5 Size Limits

All export consignments shall adhere to the size limits required by this Plan in 6.3

6.7.6 Quarantining

In cases where quarantining is required by the country where live groupers are exported to, it shall be the responsibility of the exporter to make arrangements to quarantine the exports at the Ministry’s facility with a fee payable to the Ministry.

6.7.7 Prohibited Activities

(a) Breaching the confidentiality of the data received from fishers as a part of a requirement from the Ministry and sharing such data with any other party besides the Ministry is an offence.

(b) Acting in contravention of any measures in this Plan or the Fisheries Act or any of the regulations pursuant to the Act is an offence.

6.8 Precautionary Measures

6.8.1 Where the Ministry finds evidence or has been advised that the stock of any grouper species within the Maldives is under stress or at a critical risk of being overfished, the Ministry, in consultation with MMRI and the Committee, may take precautionary management measures not stated in this Plan to protect the wild stock.

6.8.2 These measures may include but are not limited to the following:

(a) Declaring the closure of additional areas within Maldives and prohibiting the extraction of groupers from the no-take zone;

(b) Prohibiting the harvesting, processing, trade or export of a specific species of groupers;

(d) Implementing a species export or catch quota (based on Total Allowable Catch or Total Allowable Exports, as required);

(e) Impose other restrictions on activities that may affect grouper stocks.

6.9 Offences and Penalties

6.9.1 Acting in contravention of any of the above management measures or conditions of a license is an offence.

6.9.2 Penalties for non-compliance shall be applied as per Table 5.

6.9.3 If an offense is repeated for a third time, the license of the offender shall be revoked and withheld for a period of three months

6.9.4 Procedures for penalisation shall be in accordance with the Penalty Regulation 2020.

Table 5: Listed of offenses and their respective penalties

Offence Fine (MVR) Repeated Offence

Engaging in any of the prohibited activities within a designated 5000 MVR 5000 each time protected grouper spawning aggregation site

Using SCUBA gear, gaffs and lights MVR 700, in addition to the previous for the targeting of grouper species 2000 fine (up to MVR 5000) (licensed)

Using spear guns and/or other such MVR 1000, in addition to the equipment with a trigger mechanism 3000 previous fine (up to MVR 50000) for the targeting of groupers AND

spearfishing to target grouper aggregations

Maximum 50000 (three times the estimated Engaging in commercial grouper profit, derived from - fishing without a valid licence the quantity and the market value of the species)

Harvesting, retaining on-board, storing on-board, transhipping, transporting to a landing facility or MVR 700, in addition to the previous land any grouper species in 2000 fine (up to MVR 5000) contravention of legal size requirements applicable to that species

Maximum 20000 (fine Engaging in harvesting of groupers to be calculated based from a protected grouper spawning on the quantity and - aggregation site (licensed) the market value of the species)

Conducting fishing or engaging in MVR 500 in addition to the previous any related activities within 3 fine (up to MVR 10000) 5000 nautical miles around FADs (licensed)

Employing a foreign national to MVR 1000 in addition to the previous harvest groupers for commercial 3000 fine (up to MVR 10000) purposes

Foreign nationals engaging in MVR 300, in addition to the previous harvesting of groupers in a licensed 1000 fine (up to MVR 5000) vessel

Failure to submit trip logs to the MVR 200, in addition to the previous Ministry as conditioned by the 750 fine (up to MVR 10000) fishing licence

Engaging in commercial grouper MVR 500, in addition to the previous fishery as a reseller without a valid 3000 fine (up to MVR 10000) licence

Engaging in grouper processing MVR 4000, in addition to the 10000 without a valid licence previous fine (up to MVR 50000)

Trading, retaining in a facility or processing a grouper species in MVR 700, in addition to the previous contravention of the legal size 2000 fine (up to MVR 5000) requirements applicable to that species

Failure to submit reports / information to the Ministry as MVR 300 in addition to the previous 1000 conditioned by the respective fine (up to MVR 10000) processing and reseller licence

Provision of inaccurate or falsified MVR 500 in addition to the previous 3000 information to the Ministry fine (up to MVR 10000)

Breaching the confidentiality of the data received from fishers as a part MVR 500 in addition to the previous of a requirement from the Ministry 5000 fine (up to MVR 10000) and sharing such data with any other party besides the Ministry

In addition to the fine, blacklist the Attempting to export groupers exporting party and withhold the 5000 without a catch certificate issuance of catch certificates for 3 months

Engaging in exporting of grouper In addition to the fine, blacklist the 5000 species in contravention of the legal exporting party and withhold the

size requirements applicable to that issuance of catch certificates for 3 species months

Part 7: Implementation of the Plan

7.1 The Ministry is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this management plan as per Table 2.

7.2 The Ministry shall formulate a plan of action to monitor and ensure compliance and enforcement of all management measures.

7.3 The Maldives Marine Research Institute shall formulate a plan of action to guide all research activities that the institute is responsible for under this Plan.

Part 8: Reviewing the Management Plan

8.1 This plan shall be reviewed and revised every five years by the Ministry.

8.2 The Ministry shall engage with grouper fishing communities, licence holders, processors, exporters and other stakeholders in the review process.

8.3 Upon review, if and where applicable, management measures shall be revised, or new measures put in place based on scientific findings and other relevant data.

8.4 Notwithstanding Section 8.3, where there is an immediate need to revise any part(s) of the Plan the Ministry shall carry out such revisions in consultation with the Committee.

8.5 The Maldives Marine Research Institute shall advise the Ministry on biological and ecological aspects of the fishery to be incorporated in reviewing of the Plan.

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Annex 1: Glossary

Culture, propagation, keeping, raising, and ranching of aquatic (a) Aquaculture living resources on the Territory and in the maritime zones of the Maldives.

Person holding the most responsible position at any (b) Captain / Master given time on-board a fishing vessel

Fishing or Harvesting for the purpose of obtaining a financial (c) Commercial Fishing benefit

Any officer designated pursuant to Section 57 of this Act to (d) Enforcement Officer enforce regulations made under this Act.

Persons who are appointed for and by the Ministry under the (e) Fisheries Ranger Act No. 14/2019 (Fisheries Act of the Maldives).

(1) Searching for the purpose of catching, taking, killing and harvesting of fish; (2) Attempting to search for, catch, take, kill or harvest fish; (3) Engaging in any other activity that results in the searching, catching, taking, killing or harvesting of fish; (f) Fishing / Harvesting (4) Placing or searching or retaking of any fish aggregating device or equipment including “radio beacons”; (5) Undertaking any operation at sea or on an island in preparation for any activity mentioned in subsections (1), (2), (3) or (4).

Any type of vessel, ship or any other thing which is used for (a) Fishing Vessels fishing, which has been prepared for fishing, or which is usually used for fishing or related activities.

Any instruments used to record data on fishing trips, (b) Logbook including catch and effort data, submitted electronically or via any other medium determined by the Ministry

The plan with regard to fisheries planning, management and (c) Management Plans development in relation to Chapter Three of this Act.

(d) Minister The minister responsible for fisheries, including aquaculture.

(e) Ministry The ministry responsible for fisheries, including aquaculture.

(f) Offence Administrative offences prescribed in this Act.

In the absence of complete information based on scientific research or where a matter has not been proved, measures (g) Precautionary Measures adopted to manage the natural resources in a sustainable manner considering the possibility of an adverse outcome if such measures are not taken.

Activities undertaken to package, pack or bring any change to (h) Processing fish in order to preserve fish for a long period.

Lands, buildings, or such other places on or in which:

(1) fish or aquaculture products are cleaned, packaged, dried, salted, chilled, frozen or otherwise processed

(i) Processing Facilities for sale in and outside the Maldives; or

(2) fish or aquaculture products are stored for the purposes of packaging, canning, drying, cleaning, salting, chilling, freezing or otherwise for processing for sale in and outside the Maldives.

Any third-parties trading fish to exporters or tourism markets (j) Reseller as middlemen, but do not engage in the harvesting process

Any gear or tool that shoots a sharp and pointed projectile (k) Spear Gun using a trigger mechanism that involves the use of a rubber sling, compressed air or a chemical to target fish.

The territory of the Maldives, as defined in Article 3 of the (l) Territory Constitution of the Republic of the Maldives

The person who fulfils the duties and obligations of, represents as having the rights of, or accepts the obligations of, whether in (m) Vessel Owner personal capacity or through another person, the owner; and person or persons associated with the owner, or the manager, director or secretary of a legal entity.

Annex 2: Photo Identification of Key Grouper Species

Cephalopholis argus Peacock hind Mas faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Cephalopholis miniata Coral hind Koveli Faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Cephalopholis sexmaculata Sixblotch hind Landaa faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Cephalopholis sonnerati Tomato hind Veli Faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Plectropomus areolatus Squaretail coral grouper Olhu faana Size Limit: 38 cm

Plectropomus pessuliferus Roving coral grouper Dhon olhu faana Size Limit: 40 cm

Plectropomus laevis Black-saddled coral grouper Kula olhu faana Size Limit: 25 cm

Aethaloperca rogaa Red mouth grouper Ginimas faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Anyperodon leucogrammicus Slender grouper Boalha jehi faana Size Limit: 25 cm

Variola louti Yellow eyed lyretail Kan'du haa Size Limit: 22 cm

Variola albimarginata White eyed lyretail Kan'du raiy haa Size Limit: 22 cm

Epinephelus ongus White streaked grouper Kirulhi faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Epinephelus fasciatus Blacktip grouper Raiy galhi faana Size Limit: 25 cm

Epinephelus spilotoceps Four-saddled grouper Asdhaanu faana Size Limit: 20 cm

Epinephelus areolatus Areolate grouper Thihjehi faana Size Limit: 38

Epinephelus macrospilos Snubnose grouper Fihjehi faana Size Limit: 25 cm

Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus White-spotted grouper Hudhu lah faana Size Limit: 25 cm

Epinephelus polyphekadion Camouflage grouper Kula faana Size Limit: 40 cm

Epinephelus flavocaeruleus Blue and yellow grouper Dhon-noo faana Size Limit: 30 cm

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus Brown-marbled grouper Kas faana Size Limit: Between 25-45 cm, and >60 cm

Epinephelus lanceolatus Giant grouper Mudu faana Size Limit: No restrictions

Epinephelus miliaris Netfin grouper Kurehi faana Size Limit: No restrictions