The Maldives has achieved a major milestone in sustainable fisheries, becoming the first country to receive a nation-specific rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch programme a development expected to significantly enhance its position in the global blue economy.

The internationally recognised programme serves as a key benchmark for seafood sustainability, widely used by buyers and vendors across the United States and beyond.

Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam in a social media post on 'X' described the designation as unprecedented, noting that it marks the first time in the programme’s history that a rating has been granted exclusively to a single country’s tuna fishery.

Shiyam characterised the achievement as part of a broader trajectory of environmental progress, highlighting recent expansions in certification standards.

These include the extension of Marine Stewardship Council certification to yellowfin tuna fisheries using both pole-and-line and handline methods.

With the addition of Fair Trade certification, officials noted that the entire Maldivian yellowfin tuna fleet is now fully MSC-certified.

He also credited the progress to President Mohamed Muizzu, citing his vision to preserve and further strengthen the unique characteristics of Maldivian fisheries on the global stage.

According to officials, the new Seafood Watch designation is expected to open up expanded access to the North American market, creating favourable export opportunities for Maldivian seafood producers.

The government continues to collaborate closely with fishers, scientists and industry stakeholders to sustain and build on these gains.