DTIS, Volume I - Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)

cent share of overall employment. This represents a decrease of 19 per cent from 11,943
in 1990, a trend that has been observed since 1980 (see Table 8.6).
While the total workforce grew by more than 30,000 between 1990 and 2000, the share
of the fishery sector in overall employment decreased by 10 per cent. The explanatory
factors include:
• A higher level of efficiency in fishing due to gradual modernization of the fleet in
terms of better engines and a few new fibreglass vessels. These require shorter and
fewer trips to produce the same or even higher volume of catch.
• Low level of value added activities, weak linkages with other economic sectors, and
decline of the traditional cottage style processing.
• Fishing is not seen as an attractive career opportunity by the younger generation, as
the profession is not associated with educational and social esteem. Current
conditions on board are basic. These factors outweigh the income generating aspect,
which for fishing exceeds a standard government salary check
Table 8.6: Sector Employment
National
Employment
Sector
Employment % Share
On-board
Activities
Other
Activities
Census Men Women
1990 55,949 11,498 21 11,364 134 11,181 317
2000 86,245 9,294 11 9,019 275 9,181 113
Decline 2,204 2,345 2,000 204
% Decline 19 21 18 64
Source: NPND 2004, Table 3.9
Local fishermen use pole and line to catch skipjack tuna, which accounts for most of the
catch in the Maldives. This is a labour intensive and fairly sustainable method of fishing.
On-board activities accounted for 98 per cent of sector employment in 1990 and 97
percent in 2000.
Other employment activities in the sector relate mostly to fish handling and processing
activities, associated administrative work, repair and maintenance. The small increase in
these non-fishing jobs indicates that the multiplier factor can improve if more valueadded
activities are carried out.
Fishing as a traditional business is mostly practised from wooden hulled vessels with
basic facilities for the crew. As most fishing is with pole and line carried out on a daytrip
basis, conditions on board are not suitable for women, and the pole and line
technology that is applied requires muscle power.
Accordingly, women employment in the sector is mostly in processing and administrative
activities. In the few processing factories that are in operation, women carry out tasks
such as filleting, trimming, packing, in addition to quality control procedures,
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