Fisheries
Tuna is the backbone of the island economy and, after tourism, the country's main export. Published statistics from MMA.
Total fish catch
107.7k t
national catch, 2024
Fish export earnings, 12 months
USD 99 m
Jun 2025 – May 2026
Price to fishermen (skipjack)
14 MVR/kg
Apr 2026 · 48% of world price
Exported raw
84%
fresh/frozen, not value-added
What fishermen are paid vs the world price i
Skipjack tuna, MVR per kilo. The upper line is the world market price; the lower is what local companies pay fishermen. The gap has widened as the world price rose and the local price held flat.
World market pricePrice to fishermen
Catch vs exports, monthly
Metric tonnes. "Purchased by companies" is the commercial catch bound for processing and export, only about half the national catch (the rest is sold fresh or consumed locally).
Purchased by companiesFish exported
Sets the two breakdowns below; the tiles and charts show the latest data.
Exports by product
2026 (year to date), metric tonnes. Most leaves the country raw rather than value-added.
Tuna exports by species
2026 (year to date), metric tonnes. Skipjack is the pole-and-line mainstay; yellowfin the higher-value line.