Community

Maldivian fishermen have for more than half a century caught tuna by pole-and-line fishing. Until the introduction of tourism in the early 1970s, fisheries was the mainstay of scattered island communities.

Even today, an estimated 20,000 people, out of the Maldives population of just over 300,000, are salaried fishermen.

Ensis has a fleet of its own and contracted local fishing boats, supporting the livelihoods of over 5000 dedicated fishermen, mostly from small island communities, who depends on us for their income. We train fishermen to handle fish on board and provide them with ice and cold storage facilities. We also give them loans to upgrade and maintain their boats. In addition, we’ve established fish collection centers in the north of the country to stimulate our local fisheries.

At Ensis, we give a high priority in actively participating in the well-being of of our fishing communities and are proud to contribute towards improving the lives of fishermen across the country.

Some of our past projects include:

ProjectYearInstitution
1. Participate in the Tree Planation ProgramFrom 2014Hulhumale’ Housing Development Corporation (HDC)
2. Sent expert for the formulation of Master Plan on Sustainable Fisheries2015 to 2018Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture
3. Expert advice on the drafting the Bill for the Act on Ozone Layer Protection2015Parliament House
4. Expert advice on formulation of Fish Bill (Revision to Fisheries Act of Maldives)From 2015Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture
5. Is a member of the Plastic Reduction Initiative2016Ministry of Environment and Energy
6. Sponsors on Fari Faru Program – A reef cleaning initiative2016Disaster Control (A youth NGO)
7. Presented Hithadhoo Council with 5t of Organic Fertilizer2016Office for Vice President of Maldives
8. Ensis has committed to collect and deliver to BEAM, (The NGO involved in Parley, for the Ocean). This plastic is currently used in making of Shoes and Jerseys by Adidas.2017Biodiversity Education and Awareness Maldives (BEAM). NGO in partner with Parley for the Ocean