A regulation that allowed resorts to dump rubbish in the sea has been abolished.
According to a tourism ministry regulation established in 2006, if there is no local place to deposit rubbish, food waste and biodegradable waste can be discarded in the ocean outside of the atoll after analyzing the wind and ocean flow direction to minimize waste gathering on neighboring islands.
With the issue of resorts dumping garbage into the water on the rise, the tourism ministry has updated the regulation that enables resorts to dump waste. As a result, resorts will be prohibited from dumping any form of rubbish into the ocean beginning today.
If a resort violates the regulation, the resort may be penalized between MVR 1,000 and MVR 10,000 for a first violation, depending on the severity of the infraction. If the offence is committed a second time, a fine of MVR 50,000 to MVR 100,000 may be imposed. If a resort commits the same infraction more than twice, the tourism ministry has the authority to cancel the resort’s license.
