Baa Atoll Council has stated it is against leasing further uninhabited islands for resort development, due to the lack of benefit to the residents. The council stated it has passed a resolution to stop the lease of uninhabited islands in the atoll for resort development and to require authorities to disclose the lease of a Baa Atoll island for resort development.
The resolution dictates that authorities should establish means by which the council can monitor islands in Baa Atoll that have been leased, and transfer the lease agreement to the council.
Currently, three islands in Baa Atoll are leased for agriculture development, while 18 resorts are operating in the atoll and three more are scheduled to be opened. In the resolution, the council requested the government to transfer all uninhabited islands, sandbanks, and biosphere reserves in Baa Atoll to its jurisdiction, and penalise those who have been using the areas illegally.
President of Baa Atoll Council Ahmed Afrah said the decision was made in order for the council to better administer its services in the atoll under the Decentralisation Act and to lease the islands for development projects that benefit the atolls residents.
He said currently the residents do not benefit from the lease of islands and that some resorts treat the uninhabited islands as waste dumps. The council also stated that resorts operating in Baa Atoll have been illegally selling uninhabited islands and sandbanks to tourists.