Fishing in the Maldives: night fishing and island traditions

Long before tourism, the Maldives lived from the sea, and on most local islands fishing is still a respected trade. Tuna is the backbone of Maldivian food: it goes into curries, short eats, the smoked and dried “Maldive fish” that flavours countless dishes, and the thick fish paste that islanders have made for centuries. Our guide to Maldivian food explains the dishes.

Pole and line: one fish at a time

The national tuna fishery is famous for one method: pole and line. Crews first catch small live bait fish around the reefs, then head out to sea to find a school of tuna. Water is sprayed on the surface and bait thrown in to start a feeding frenzy, and fishers on the stern flick tuna aboard one by one with short poles and barbless hooks. It leaves very little bycatch compared with nets.

The main targets are skipjack tuna (*kalhubilamas*) and yellowfin tuna. According to the Marine Stewardship Council’s public fishery record, the Maldives pole-and-line skipjack fishery has been MSC-certified since 2012, one of the first tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean to earn it. As of October 2026, the same record lists the pole-and-line skipjack, pole-and-line yellowfin and handline yellowfin units as certified, with the current certificate running to May 2028. Yellowfin had lost its certification for some years over stock concerns before regaining it.

The dhoni

The workhorse of the fishery is the dhoni, the Maldives’ traditional wooden boat, today usually built with a fibreglass hull and a diesel engine. Fishing dhonis have a raised stern platform where the pole-and-line crew stands. Smaller dhonis are the same boats that take visitors snorkelling and fishing.

The fish market

If you pass through Malé, the fish market by the waterfront is worth a look in the afternoon, when boats come in and whole tuna are cut up on tiled counters. It is a working market, so stand back and ask before photographing people. Our Malé city guide has more on the capital.

Night fishing is the classic local island excursion, and it is easy for beginners.

How it works

• When: boats usually leave around sunset and fish into the evening. Expect roughly three to four hours.
• Where: the boat anchors or drifts just outside the reef, over deeper water.
• How: you use a simple handline, a weighted line with a baited hook wrapped around a spool or block. No rod or reel. The crew shows you how to drop the line to the bottom, feel for a bite and pull in hand over hand.
• Afterwards: many trips end with the catch cleaned and grilled, either on the boat, at the guesthouse or as a beach barbecue. On local islands this is always alcohol-free.

What you might catch

Night trips mostly bring up reef and reef-edge fish: red snapper, groupers, jacks (trevally) and emperors are typical. A catch is never guaranteed, and that is part of the fun. Good crews release undersized fish and anything protected.

On Dhiffushi, night fishing and a beach barbecue is one of the island’s most popular evenings out.

For something more serious, big game trips troll lures behind a faster boat in open water, along outer reef edges and channels. Targets include yellowfin tuna, wahoo, dorado (mahi-mahi) and, in some seasons, sailfish and marlin. Trips usually last half a day or a full day, and sea conditions matter: the calmer northeast monsoon months are generally more comfortable on the open ocean.

Before you go, agree with the crew what happens to the catch. Catch and release is strongly encouraged for billfish such as sailfish and marlin, and many anglers now release most of what they hook, keeping just enough for a meal. Find out more on Dhiffushi’s big game fishing page.

The Maldives takes marine protection seriously. Know the basics.

Where you can’t fish

• Protected areas: fishing is not allowed in marine protected areas. Your crew will know where these are.
• House reefs and lagoons: don’t fish from a resort or guesthouse jetty or lagoon unless you’ve been told it’s allowed.
• Resort waters: resorts are private islands with their own rules, and many forbid fishing near their reefs.

Protected species

These must not be caught, kept, killed or sold:

• Sharks: shark fishing was banned across Maldivian waters in 2010. A licensed commercial gulper shark fishery reopened from 1 November 2025, but only outside the atolls and only for licensed vessels. All other sharks remain protected, including whale sharks.
• Rays: all rays, including mantas, have been protected since 2014.
• Turtles: catching turtles has been banned since 1995, and the protection has since been extended. Their eggs and shells are protected too.
• Napoleon (humphead) wrasse: protected; its export has been banned since 1995.
• Parrotfish: catching, killing or keeping any parrotfish became illegal under the General Fisheries Regulation in 2020, because they are vital to healthy reefs.
• Dolphins and whales: protected.

If something protected bites, the crew should cut the line or release it straight away. If they don’t, ask them to.

Do tourists need a permit?

No published tourist fishing licence was found on official fisheries sources at the time of writing. In practice, visitors fish on organised trips run by licensed local operators, who are responsible for following the rules. The government has said it intends to regulate sport and big-game fishing more formally, so check with your crew or guesthouse for anything new.

A few habits make a real difference:

• Don’t buy protected species. Shark, ray, turtle, Napoleon wrasse or parrotfish dishes and products are illegal. If you’re offered any, say no.
• Avoid juveniles. Small reef fish should go back. Keep only what you will eat that night.
• Choose pole-and-line tuna. When eating tuna in the Maldives, it is almost always caught this way, which is one of the most selective methods there is.
• Don’t take shells or coral home. Many marine products need a permit to leave the country; simply don’t buy or collect them.
• Leave no line behind. Lost fishing line and hooks tangle coral and turtles.

Our responsible travel guide and marine life guide go further.

Fishing runs through Maldivian songs, boat-building and harbour life. Fishermen’s Day is marked nationally on 10 December, with the official celebrations held on a different island each year. In 2025 they took place in Raa Atoll. The date was briefly moved in 2011 before returning to 10 December. See our festivals and holidays guide for the wider calendar.

Dhiffushi, in Kaafu Atoll about 37 km north-east of Malé, is a good example of a fishing island that has opened up to visitors without losing its roots. The island council describes Dhiffushi as a fishing island, and the harbour is still the centre of island life, with fishing dhonis coming and going alongside the guesthouse boats. At 40–50 minutes by speedboat from the airport, it is easy to fit an evening of night fishing into a short stay. Read more about the island’s past in Dhiffushi history and island life.

• Life jackets: check they are on board and ask where they are kept. Children should wear one on deck at all times.
• Weather: the southwest monsoon (roughly mid-May to November) brings more rain and rougher seas. Good crews postpone trips when it’s too rough; don’t push them to go.
• Seasickness: a small boat at anchor can roll. Take tablets beforehand if you’re prone to it.
• Hooks and lines: handlines can cut fingers, so ask for gloves. Handle spiny fish carefully.
• Tell someone: let your guesthouse know which trip you’re on and when you expect to be back.

For emergencies, the single national number is 911. Our health and safety guide covers more.