Reigning Heroes of the Maldives Sea
July 17/2018

Imagine waking up before dawn every single morning, to pick yourself up for work. It is not a morning jog but taking a full day trip (or two) across the open ocean in the Maldives. Carrying your heavy equipment to start the engine of the wide boat, before the rooster starts alarming the entire island, the rusty smoke of the engine calls out the rest of your team for the voyage. For centuries, this has been the life of the breadwinners of the island nation, the local fisherman of the Maldive islands.

Before tourism boomed the economy, fishermen were the providers of the sole survival source for the community. Likewise, on large wooden boats, they first ooze in near the lagoons to capture large schools of bait. Collecting the bait in the tank built in the boat, they scurry to the open waters prepping with their pole and line. Without GPS or an echo system, they look-out for a gathering of seabirds and immediately dart to that area. They pull out, fish by fish from the water until their boat becomes dense from the weight. They are back before sundown, as the islanders gather to buy some fresh seafood. Almost all the fish is sold, and the excess is sent to be prepared for export. Fish were widely exported as smoked and dried fish in the earliest times.

In a time where fish can be easily imported, Maldivians never stopped their sweat drenching hard work. Modernized with GPS and other specialized technology, they travel in engine powered boats with storing facilities and a larger capacity. This has allowed fisherman to be on the open water for days. Fishermen risk most of their life in the business, spending almost all their time on the work. Also, unexpected storms are a great danger for Maldivian fisherman, as it is easy to get lost in the depth of the Indian Ocean. Despite these horrifying cases, fishing is still part of the Maldivian economy and is the leading primary economic activity for export products.

Maldivian fish are still highly demanded internationally in cans, dried, smoked and frozen. The ever-developing community never forgets the hardship and the courage these men and women give in to serve for the economy. Likewise, they are widely praised and appreciated, especially on the National Fishermen’s Day, 10th of December. They are truly a fragment of our bloodlines, the heroic men on the Maldive sea.