More robust measures against illegal fishing now possible, govt says
In the south of the country, until the ITLOS judgment, there was no internationally recognised EEZ, the minister pointed out.
Government said on Friday that it will be able to prevent poaching in the southern part of the Maldives after an international ruled that the Maldives will get a large share of the sea between the Maldives and Chagos.
The International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on Friday sided with the Maldives in the dispute with Mauritius surrounding the delimitation of the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the Maldives and the Chagos archipelago, awarding a bigger portion to the Maldives.
ITLOS noted that the size of the relevant area is calculated to be approximately 92,563 sqkm. The delimitation line allocates to Mauritius 45,331 sqkm and to the Maldives 47,232 sqkm.
Following the verdict, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih convened an emergency cabinet meeting Friday evening. After the meeting, the president and cabinet members spoke to the media at the President’s Office.
Responding to a question from Atoll Times on whether the verdict would cause any harm to the southern fishermen, President Solih said that the Maldives has so far received only 12 nautical miles under local and international maritime laws. So far, Maldives has been unable to take any measures against trawling and illegal fishing in the area beyond the 12 nautical miles, he said.
Following the ITLOS ruling on Friday, he noted that 47,232 sqkm of the country's southern region has now been officially declared as the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
"Our coastguard will keep a close watch to prevent such a thing from happening, just as other places are being looked after," he said.
The Ppesident pointed out:
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The Attorney General's Office had collected information from the coastguard and the fisheries to respond to the case at ITLOS
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Both agencies have stated that Maldivian fishermen did not travel to the area outside the territory gained by Maldives
"I see it as a victory for us. We have finally got our own maritime territories demarcated and recognised," he said.
Fisheries minister Hussain Rasheed Hassan, who attended the press conference, said the Maldives has so far received a total of 24 nautical miles to prevent illegal fishing in the southern part of the country.
In the south of the country, until the ITLOS judgment, there was no internationally recognised EEZ, the minister pointed out. He described Friday’s verdict as a historic and a great achievement for the Maldives and the Maldivian fishermen.
"Maldivian fishermen today are confident that foreign fishing boats will not be allowed to enter Maldives and our coastguard will catch them if they enter," Hussain said.
"I'm sure we will be able to make the most out of our marine resources now."
Both President Solih and Hussain noted that Mauritius had assured that the protected area currently designated by the British in the Chagos region would remain the same. The environment ministry has been asked to work closely with the relevant authorities to protect the marine ecosystems in the region, the president said.
