The Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, announced at the Rio+20 summit that it would create the world’s largest marine reserve to safeguard its fisheries and biodiversity.
President Mohamed Waheed stated, “Today, I am proud to announce that the Maldives will be the first country to establish a marine reserve. This will become the largest marine reserve globally. This policy will promote only sustainable and eco-friendly fishing, prohibiting deep-sea purse-seining and other harmful trawling methods.”
He referred to a specific fishing method involving a bag-shaped seine net to capture fish and other marine life.
Waheed also mentioned, “The Maldives is already a sanctuary for sharks, turtles, and various fish species in the Indian Ocean. The trade of these species is currently illegal in the Maldives.”
While he did not specify the exact size of the reserve, he expressed optimism, stating, “We can accomplish this in a short time, hopefully within five years.”
Sue Lieberman, deputy director of the Pew Environment Group, a US-based NGO, praised the announcement as “highly significant” and a strong commitment. She noted that a marine reserve has a more stringent status compared to a marine-protected area.
“A marine reserve typically means no extractive activities, including industrial fishing and mining. However, recreational fishing and boating may still be allowed,” she explained.
Lieberman suggested that President Waheed’s statement might imply that the entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Maldives could become the reserve. The EEZ is the sea area up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast that it can exploit for marine resources.
“Although the Maldives is a small set of islands, it is a large country when considering its ocean territory,” she added.