Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr. Mohamed Shainee has announced that Maldivian fishermen would begin intercepting ocean plastics in the 1-million square kilometre wide Maldivian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Addressing the United Nations' Oceans Conference, Minister Shainee said that the Maldivian fisheries industry consisting over 1250 pole-and-line, hand line and long line fishing vessels and 24 processors will move one step ahead to reduce and phase out use of plastics, and intercept ocean plastics.
"On this occasion, I am proud to announce that our fisheries industry, consisting over 1250 pole-and-line, hand line and long line fishing vessels and 24 processors will move one step ahead to reduce and phase out use of plastics, and intercept ocean plastics in our 1-million square kilometre wide EEZ. The plastics intercepted by fishermen and collected at designated collection points will be handed over to parley for the oceans, who Maldives has been closely working with to recycle and reuse plastic wastes,” Minister Shainee told the conference.
Speaking on behalf the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the minister welcomed the Call for Action to be adopted at the Oceans Conference and the voluntary commitments being announced to further the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also stressed that oceans and seas is a thematic priority for the post-2015 agenda. He urged a collective effort to forge partnerships to clean up oceans, to recycle waste, and to build the capacity needed to care for the ocean.