Economy

Fish exports fall 59% in first eight months as tuna shipments slump

The Maldives exported 23,554 tonnes of fish from January to August, down 59% on a year earlier, with fresh and frozen tuna shipments falling by almost two-thirds.

By Mohamed Hussain·Oct 27, 2026, 6:40 PM · Updated Oct 27, 2026, 6:40 PM

A man in a green apron stands behind two large yellowfin tuna on a tiled counter at a fish market, with smaller reef fish laid out beside them. — A fishmonger prepares yellowfin tuna at the fish market in Malé. File photo. Photo: Mark Fischer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Mark Fischer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Maldivian fish exports fell by 59% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to official trade statistics published by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

The country exported 23,554 tonnes of fish between January and August, down from 57,344 tonnes a year earlier, the figures show. The data is compiled from Maldives Customs Service records.

Earnings from fish exports fell to USD 51.7 million from USD 96.5 million, a decline of 46%.

Tuna hit hardest

Fresh, chilled and frozen tuna, the largest export category, fell to 18,238 tonnes from 51,650 tonnes, a drop of 65%. Earnings from the category fell by 56% to USD 31.1 million.

Skipjack tuna exports fell by 68% to 14,405 tonnes from 45,439 tonnes, while yellowfin tuna exports fell by 39% to 3,725 tonnes from 6,105 tonnes.

Canned and pouched fish exports fell by 16% to 3,431 tonnes, and their value fell to USD 17.6 million from USD 22.9 million. Processed fish exports rose by 12% in volume to 1,254 tonnes, although their value slipped to USD 1.9 million from USD 2.6 million.

Fish purchases recorded by the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources fell by 52% over the same period, to 31,634 tonnes from 65,774 tonnes.

Main markets

Domestic exports to Thailand, the largest market for Maldivian goods, fell to USD 22.9 million from USD 56.7 million, while exports to the United Kingdom fell to USD 15.2 million from USD 18.9 million. Fish makes up about nine-tenths of the country's domestic exports.

The comparison is with a strong 2025, when fish export volumes almost doubled to 76,356 tonnes after a weak 2024. In August alone, exports were 13% lower than in August last year, at 4,042 tonnes.

Neither the MMA nor the government has given a reason for the fall.

#Fisheries#Exports#Tuna#MMA#Economy

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