King tuna: Indian Ocean trade, offshore fishing, and coral reef resilience in the Maldives archipelago

Abstract

Abstract The traditional offshore pole-and-line tuna fishery of the Maldives has historically promoted low levels of reef fishing in this archipelago. While the tuna fishery is old and extensive—some evidence suggests it has been in place for over a thousand years—the reasons for its development have not been closely examined. Why did an offshore fishery develop in such small and isolated islands with abundant and easily accessible nearshore reefs? Why is tuna considered the “king of fish” in the Maldives, in contrast to many other islands across the globe where reef fish are prized for a wide variety of cultural and social reasons, often deeply rooted in community histories? In this article, we use a historical approach to uncover some of the drivers of this fishery, and the long-term consequences it has had for the resilience of this island chain. We trace the written accounts of travellers, voyagers, and traders, in addition to more recent research to gain an understanding of how early Indian Ocean trade networks may have shaped the development of this fishery over time. We propose that the early growth of the tuna fishery was likely tied to the trade in money cowries (Monetaria moneta), of which the Maldives was a major global supplier. A regional demand and market for dried tuna from the fourteenth century onwards contributed to the income of Maldivians and promoted and supported reef health by encouraging relatively low levels of reef fishing. However, the emergence and substantial growth of the Maldivian tourist industry in the past few decades are resulting in a shift in local consumption preferences and increased exploitation of reef fisheries. Exploring this history is important, not only to help contextualize the modern governance of the offshore tuna fishery, but also for a more nuanced understanding of the social, cultural, and ecological dynamics that have shaped Maldivian coral reefs in the past with implications for those that will do so in the future.