Fisheries
Fishing is an important part of Maldivian lifestyle and it is the primary industry for most locals. The fisheries sector plays a vital role in food security and livelihood of the population. Despite the low contribution of the fisheries sector to the current GDP and the declining trend in fish landings since 2006 fish and fish products still remain the primary export of Maldives. In addition reef fishery is particularly important for the tourism sector. Maldivians are among the highest consumers of fish as a protein source with per capita fish consumption at 181 kg/year.
The fishery of Maldives is predominantly based on tuna and related species followed by reef associated fisheries. Fish production has been steadily increasing since the 1980s.
Fish products being the main export, it is one of the key sources of foreign exchange. Maldivian fish products are mainly exported to Europe, Japan, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Vulnerability to Climate Change
Changes in sea surface temperature and ocean pH are the main factors likely to affect fisheries in the Maldives. The Maldives fisheries is predominantly dependent on tuna fisheries. Tuna fishery of the Maldives is affected by the seasonal monsoon and other oceanographic variations. Analysis of catch rates shows that El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variations influence that tuna fisheries in Maldives.
During the El Nino years the skipjack catch rates noticeably decreased, while the yellow fin and other tuna species increased. During La Niña years, this trend is seen to reverse. Further research is needed to understand the severity of such impacts on tuna and related species.
As the fishery of Maldives is entirely dependent on coral reef ecosystems, any impacts on these ecosystems will have a direct impact on fisheries sector.
Increased Sea Surface Temperature
Changes in ocean climate manifested through variation in sea surface temperature can affect the distribution, migration patterns of tuna and other pelagic fish species (fish that live in the pelagic zone of the ocean – neither close to the bottom nor near the shore). Temperature is also likely to influence the survival of larvae and subsequent increase in natural population of fish.
Ocean Acidification
Projections of atmospheric CO2 concentrations show increases from current 380 parts per million (ppm) to concentrations ranging from 540 to 970 ppm by 2100 (IPCC, 2001). As a result of CO2 exchange with seawater (Orr et al., 2005), pH and concentrations of carbonate in seawater will change. The relationship for the absorption of CO2 in seawater is also influenced by temperature (Kleypas et al., 2005) and there is the potential for calcification to facilitate a negative feedback on atmospheric levels (Riebesell et al., 2000). A drop of 0.5 pH units over the next 50 to 100 years is predicted. This has the potential to affect intracellular processes and the physiology of organisms such as coral development and physical development of planktons, molluscs, crustaceans and fishes. All of these organisms therefore, are at risk from ocean acidification (Orr et al., 2005). This will have an impact on the food production and availability in the food chain.
Reference
MEE, (2016). Second National Communication of Maldives to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: Ministry of Environment and Energy