Maldives Sea Cucumber Fishery Management Plan.

This Management Plan, made in pursuance to article 18 of the Act no. 2019/14 (The Fisheries Act of the Maldives), provides for the sustainable management of the sea cucumber fishery and trade in the Maldives, in order to ensure long-term benefits to the people of Maldives and guide stakeholders and authorities in the sustainable development of the fishery. The Management Plan applies to all the species of sea cucumbers, and to all the activities carried out in the Maldives involving sea cucumber resources, including collecting, aquaculture, processing, storage, trading, and exporting of sea cucumber and sea cucumber products. The Management Plan is inspired by the following guiding principles: precautionary approach; ecosystem-based management; universal responsibility; sustainable development; participatory approach. The Plan covers the following aspects of the fishery: biology, habitat and ecological significance of the fishery; recorded species; processing and export; establishment of an advisory committee; data collection and management; prohibiting the use of certain gears in the collection of sea cucumbers; minimising the environmental impacts from fishing and related activities; catch certification. The main objectives of the Plan are: preventing the overexploitation and depletion of sea cucumber stocks; regulating and controlling the collection, aquaculture, processing, storage, trading and exporting of sea cucumber and sea cucumber products from the Maldives; improving the data collection, monitoring, assessment and reporting of the sea cucumber fishery; enhancing the governance and management of the sea cucumber fishery, including improving stakeholder participation; increasing the benefits and value derived from the sea cucumber fishery, including improving livelihoods, quality, safety and market access.