Maldives sees sharp decline in both fish purchases and exports during the first half of the year!
2 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | އާދީއްތަ 09:28Fish purchases saw a sharp decline of 59.9 percent during the first half of this year, leading to a significant drop in export revenue from $74.5 million to $37.5 million. While the procurement of skipjack and yellowfin tuna decreased substantially, the export volume of processed fish products bucked the trend, recording an increase of 6.8 percent.
Fisheries: Fish purchases plummeted by 59.9 percent during the first six months of this year, while export revenue dropped from $74.5 million to $37.5 million. | Fisheries Ministry
Statistics from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) reveal that both fish exports and fish purchases within the domestic fishing industry saw a significant decline during the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.
The report released by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) incorporates data from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Maldives Customs Service. According to the report, fish purchases totaled 53,426.3 metric tons between January and June 2025; however, this figure plummeted to 21,438.5 metric tons during the same period in 2026. This represents a significant decline of approximately 59.9 percent.
In terms of fish purchases, skipjack tuna landings saw a significant decline of 65.2 percent. Specifically, while 46,610.6 metric tons of skipjack tuna were purchased during the first six months of 2025, this figure dropped to 16,230.4 metric tons during the same period in 2026. Additionally, yellowfin tuna purchases fell from 6,637.4 metric tons to 4,841.1 metric tons, marking a 27.1 percent decrease. However, the purchase of other fish varieties increased from 178.4 metric tons to 367.0 metric tons.
In terms of fish export volume, the Maldives exported a total of 16,991.1 metric tons during the first six months of 2026. This represents a 62.1 percent decline compared to the 44,791.3 metric tons exported during the same period in 2025. Within this sector, exports of fresh and frozen fish plummeted by 67.8 percent, while canned fish exports saw an 11.6 percent decrease. Regarding revenue generated from these exports, earnings dropped to USD 37.5 million in the first half of 2026, down from the USD 74.5 million recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
Based on the purchasing rates of local companies, the price of skipjack tuna stood at MVR 14.0 per kilogram in June 2026, while yellowfin tuna was priced at MVR 52.7 per kilogram. This represents a slight decrease in yellowfin tuna prices compared to June 2025. Meanwhile, the price of iced skipjack tuna rose from MVR 16.0 to MVR 20.0 per kilogram. On the international market, the price of skipjack tuna was recorded at MVR 26.7 per kilogram in June 2026.
Regarding the export of processed fish products, 774.4 metric tons were exported during the first six months of 2026. This represents a 6.8 percent increase compared to the 724.7 metric tons exported during the same period in 2025. However, a significant decline was observed across most sectors of the fishing industry overall. February and March 2026, in particular, saw the sharpest downturns in both fish purchases and export volumes.
