Author: Laura Restrepo Ortega

Five year record for tourist arrivals in January

The President’s Office has reported that 67,478 tourists arrived in the Maldives during January 2010, making it country’s strongest January in five years.

Moosa Zameer, head of planning and statistics at the ministry of tourism, observed it was “the best [January] we have ever had.”

But Sim Mohamed from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) was less optimistic about the numbers, saying they are “a bit misleading” and “must be studied carefully”.

Although the number of arrivals under tourists visas may have risen, Sim said many of these tourists are only ‘surface arrivals’ – such as passengers on a cruise ship who arrive for a day or two, and then leave.

Several such regular services have started bringing tourists from India and Sri Lanka, he noted.

According to Sim, the final arrival figures for tourists could be reduced by 30-40 per cent before they can accurately show the number of tourists who are staying for significant amounts of time – and spending money in the country.

Under normal circumstances, most tourists coming to the Maldives are at “the high end of the market – those who have the disposable income to go wherever they want to go,” he says.

But with the recent economic crisis, many resorts and airlines have reduced their rates significantly, he explained, with some resorts cutting their rates up to 30-50 percent. More airlines opening their routes to the Maldives also means more competitive air fares.

Because resorts are operating at lower rates, “there isn’t a significant rise in financial activity in Malé or even in other islands,” Sim said, but “it’s still a win for the government since they get bed rent.”

Zameer believes that the rise in tourist arrivals is not only accredited to cheaper rates at resorts, but to all the “work in promotions carried out after the [economic] crisis at the end of 2008.” He believes both the private sector and the ministry have put a lot of work into promoting the Maldives as a tourist destination, even for those who are more budget conscious.

Traditionally, the key markets for tourism in Maldives have been the UK, Italy, Germany, France, Russia, China and Switzerland, according to MATI. But this trend has already seen a change this year.

Zameer says there has been a “shift in the market,” as European seasonal tourist numbers are dropping and the Chinese and Indian markets are emerging. Kuwaitis have also helped the market “enormously,” he says.

Zameer believes people are starting to realise this is the right time to travel, and they can “go to the destination they have been waiting to go to.”

Sim agrees “there has been a big rise in tourists coming from India. There is also a very sharp rise in Chinese arrivals after Chinese New Year, and there will be another one towards Easter, mostly Italians.”

He added that MATI is “feeling good vibes” from the market, especially from Germany and the UK.

“We might not see a significant recovery in 2010, but down the line, in 2012, we might see a further rise in the tourism industry.”

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Ten tons of fish waste dumped daily into sea near fish market

An average of 10 tons of potential revenue sinks into the ocean near Malé’s fish market every day, according to NGO Bluepeace.

Fish waste from the nearby market is dumped into the ocean at the end of each day. Bluepeace reports that it can reach up to 8-12 tons in Malé alone.

Fish waste is not really waste at all; it has a number of uses that are not only environmentally friendly, but profitable, the NGO claims.

There aren’t major concerns about environmental impacts or hygiene problems stemming from the disposal of the fish waste, says Bluepeace director Ali Rilwan.

“The waste is dumped into the deep sea, where there is no coral. It gets caught in currents and becomes food for fish. It’s not an environmental hazard.”

He is more concerned with the bacteria and diseases that importing cow dung and chemical-based fertilisers bring in to the country.

Alternative uses for fish by-products

Through a process called anaerobic digestion, organic materials such as fish waste are broken down naturally by bacteria in the absence of oxygen, producing bio-gas as waste products.

This bio-gas is rich in methane and carbon dioxide, and can used for energy production and help in replacing fossil fuels.

The nutrient-rich solids which are left after anaerobic digestion can also be used as fertiliser, although State Minister of Trade, Adhil Saleem, explains that “fish waste alone is not good fertiliser. It must be mixed with other ingredients first.”

Probably the most profitable product, and the easiest to produce from fish waste, is fish feed. This can be used as animal feed and is also in certain foods like masala. The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) uses fish by-products for these, especially from yellow-fin tuna.

One of three of MIFCO’s fish processing units, on the island of Lhaviyani Felivaru, processes fish products for export. Dried fish and fish feed are mainly exported to companies in Sri Lanka, but are also sold to the local market.

Fish by-product industry: Problems and solutions

Abdulla Maumoon from MIFCO says although their fish processing unit “was costly [to acquire], it is profitable.”

However the last three years have brought a steady decline in the fishing industry. The company is now downsizing their production of fish from an average of 45 metric tonnes a day to about 15.

“We have brought down production according to the raw material we are getting,” he says.

fishermen
Fishermen at Male's fish market

“We have collectors in the north, south and central regions of the country,” says Maumoon, “and fishermen can go to these collectors in their dhonis and sell it.”

In the Malé fish market not many people seem to know about the possibilities of selling their fish by-products. When asked, most fishermen responded with: “If we could sell it, we would sell it.”

The fact that fish by-products need to first be mixed with other ingredients before being turned into fertiliser introduces another factor of difficulty: transport costs. Saleem explained that the costs of obtaining these other ingredients would be too high since they would need to be imported.

But Ali Rilwan from Bluepeace says the other products needed to make fertiliser can all be found in the Maldives.

“Organic compost can be made with fish waste, seaweed, coconut fibre and even the leaves of some local trees.”

Rilwan estimates the Maldives imports hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fertilisers every year. The chemical-based fertilisers are harmful to the soil and affect the agricultural products they are used on. The amount of money spent on importing things such as cow dung and other fertilisers from countries like India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, is also very high.

The issue of whether fertilisers should be made from fish by-products, and not imported, comes down to a comparison between the cost of importing fertilisers with the costs of producing it locally and mixing it with local ingredients.

It must also be studied which of the two products is more harmful for the environment, and which is more viable in the long term.

cutting fish
Fish being gutted at the market

Government Response

The government so far has marginalised the fish by-product industry. So far, there have been “a couple of attempts” by the government to process fish waste, according to Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Ali.

State Minister of Fisheries Hussein Rasheed said the government “undertook this project, but it proved not to be profitable.” The machinery is at Kilafushi, and it is not being used.

Dr Rasheed says there is currently “no project at hand” to use fish waste, but “we would be quite happy if somebody undertakes the project. We will provide them with the help we can.”

Saleem says there is a new fish market to be built in Malé and the Ministry hopes to incorporate a fish processing unit, mainly to produce fish feed, in the new facility.

Top image provided by Ali Rilwan at Bluepeace

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President of Timor-Leste says farewell to the Maldives

José Ramos-Horta President of Timor-Leste (East Timor) said his goodbyes to President Nasheed and the Maldives yesterday evening.

Just after 10 pm, a press conference was held in the VVIP lounge at Malé International Airport.

President Ramos-Horta arrived in the country on the evening of 13 February on a state visit. He described the Maldives as “paradise islands” and thanked the “president, government and people of Maldives for welcoming us with open arms.”

New avenues of cooperation

President Nasheed said Dr Ramos-Horta’s visit is a good beginning to strengthen bilateral relations and has opened up “new avenues of cooperation between both nations”.

He added the two men compared notes and were “very easily able to come to a number of understandings” as they “share similar personal lives, conditions [and] situations”.

During President Ramos-Horta’s visit, agreements of education, culture, tourism and visa arrangements have been signed by the Foreign Ministers of both countries. These agreements are purposed to enhance cooperation and strengthen ties between the countries.

President Ramos-Horta said he was “feeling at home” and “learning about [the] enormous progress that this country has made since independence in spite of extraordinary odds of geography and environment”.

He also said that he hoped the Maldives would “be able to assist advice on how we can build up our own…maritime security” and to “develop our own tourism strategy…in the years to come.”

Dr Ramos-Horta said he had learned a lot from his visit to the Maldives and would be taking this knowledge home.

“[I] will tell my compatriots and colleagues in leadership to learn from this country, [where] in true adversity, they [have] managed to build a prosperous society, with imagination, with vision, with hard work. So that is one inspiration I take from my visit,” he said.

Climate change

The two leaders discussed climate change, sustainable development and poverty eradication, and hoped to encourage other Asian leaders to join them in seeking practical solutions to these pressing issues.

“One of the issues of common concern to us is the issue of climate change. As vulnerable island states we will make every effort to work together…[and] to take further steps beyond Copenhagen”, said Dr. Ramos-Horta.

He added that although he didn’t show up in Copenhagen, and “I was probably the only president who didn’t show up,” through “wise leadership and determination” and by mobilising other Asian leaders, the next round of climate change summit, COP 16 Mexico 2010, could be reached with a “commitment by all”.

He also commended President Nasheed for his hard work and good results at COP15, saying that “…not many small island nations, not many developing countries, had this impact” and he will “look forward to work[ing] on a regular basis with His Excellency, the president”.

Joint statement

Additionally, the Presidents issued a joint statement which was read during the press conference.

Nasheed said they came up with a statement that “would indicate how we may be able to proceed in the work that both countries can jointly achieve.”

The statement spoke of implementing innovative, practical and pragmatic approaches to the problems of climate change, poverty eradication and sustainable development. President Nasheed added that they hoped to achieve bigger targets for cutting carbon emissions for COP16.

The joint statement reads: “Asia is undoubtedly the most affluent, dynamic and promising region in the world [but] is also one that faces the greatest challenges ranging from demographic pressure to extreme poverty and environmental degradation.”

President Ramos-Horta finalised his visit by addressing President Nasheed and saying, “I hope I will be able to reciprocate in my humble home in Timor-Leste your generosity, your hospitality and we hope you can visit us soon. I thank you and may God bless you.”

President Nasheed responded by saying “Spending time with the president of East Timor is well worth it and I certainly treasure the moments.”

President Ramos-Horta was led to a Singapore Airlines airplane on a red carpet where soldiers, generals, ministers and other senior members of government wished him farewell .

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Crime boosted by lack of witness protection, claims judge

A senior judge at the criminal court has claimed that a lack of witness protection is the main reason the justice system has failed to check rising crime rates.

At a press conference last week, Senior Judge Abdulla Mohamed said many witnesses are bribed or threatened and many fail to testify in court for fear that they or their families will be in some way hurt.

Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu agreed the issue was “very serious.”

“Because [the islands of] the Maldives are so small, it makes our job [of protecting witnesses] more difficult,” he said. “In some cases, witnesses are being threatened or intimidated. In other cases they might be bribed or offered rewards.”

Another major concern raised regarding witness protection was the lack of space to hold witnesses and criminals separately, with witnesses and the accused made to sit next to each other in the court houses. Muizzu says that this is something that the courts are trying to address.

He agreed with the judge that witnesses should be allowed to testify anonymously, and said improvements were being made such as allowing witnesses “to testify via video or audio link.”

Muizzu also noted that “there are some issues of witness protection that are pending in parliament.”

The police are also trying to formulate laws to improve witness protection. Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police brought up the issue of witness protection long ago, without response.

“Police get threats as well,” he said. “It’s a major concern for us; we need to give better protection to witnesses.”

Without a witness’ testimony before the prosecution, a case can be dismissed due to lack of evidence. Muizzu explained that “in most cases, confessions made to the police will not have any weight, so it is very important that the witnesses testify for the prosecution in court in order to prove the case.”

Judge Mohamed criticised the lack of cooperation between government institutions, claiming that this was causing delay and even the collapse of many important criminal cases.

The prosecutor general admitted “there have been some instances when there has been delay on our part”, but said he believes that all branches of government are doing their best.

“Our prosecutors do appear in approximately 40-45 cases in criminal court every day, and we do cooperate to the best of our availability of human resources.”

He said there are areas that could be improved, especially witness protection.

“The court will definitely need the cooperation of the police and the prosecution to effectively discharge their duties. And we are prepared for that.”

Shiyam said, “If there is anything police need to be mindful of, judges should tell us what needs to be corrected. They should at least phone senior officers.”

He insisted police are working “hand-in-hand” with other government institutions. “All authorities must come together to provide better security,” he said.

Spokesman for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair, said the government is “strengthening and improving facilities for all institutions and courts.”

He said issues of space for institutions such as the criminal court would resolved when the ministries move to the new Wellaanage complex, soon to be completed.

He also criticised judge Abdulla Mohamed for failing to take his concerns to the “proper channels.

“I don’t believe people in the judiciary should access media to give political messages,” Zuhair said.

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Four children taken to hospital in “very serious” child abuse case

Police and the Ministry of Health and Family have confirmed they are concurrently investigating a “very serious” case of child abuse.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed a number of children had been taken to hospital, but did not divulge further details.

Minivan News understands four children were taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) by ministry workers yesterday to undergo medical examination following allegations.

Inspector Mirufath Faiz, head of the family and child protection unit, said the children had suffered from physical abuse and neglect. She explained authorities were withholding all information for the sake of the investigation.

“There are so many things we need to find out,” she said. “When we have more information that we can share, we will share it.”

Deputy Minister of Health and Family Mariya Ali said all details are being withheld for the protection of the children.

“We have the childrens’ best interest in mind, and that means we cannot give out any information that might put them in danger,” she said.

Mohamed Shihaab of Child Abuse Watch Maldives said he understood the authorities’ fear that evidence would be corrupted, or that the families of the abused children would suffer more if their identities are known.

“There is no need to disclose the identities of the children or their families, but the incident needs to be reported. It’s important that the community knows if something like this is happening,” he said.

Shihaab said he believed people are not reporting incidents for several reasons, one of them being the lack of confidentiality for the victims. The other is the need to provide witnesses so an abuse case is taken seriously.

“People need to know that justice will be carried out,” he says. “If they do not have enough evidence, their case could be dismissed.”

IGMH has not commented on, or confirmed, the case.

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