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 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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