UNDERSTANDING TOURIST RESORT SEAFOOD SOURCING PRACTICES IN THE MALDIVES

The extent and impact of demand for local seafood at tourist resorts is not well understood, with limited data on resort local seafood sourcing characteristics and supply chains. This impedes the establishment of effective national fisheries management measures for the tourism sector, and when combined with increasing guesthouse demand and local consumption, leaves marine ecosystems vulnerable to overexploitation. This study utilised an online questionnaire of 30 tourist resorts to examine the local seafood sourcing characteristics of tourist resorts in the Maldives and identify future management directions for tourism-driven coral reef fisheries.