Kunahandhoo Council Bans Fishing Nets and Traps Left on Roads, Sets November 2026 Deadline

The Kunahandhoo Council has ordered a halt to the practice of leaving fishing nets, traps, and other netting materials on the roads of Kunahandhoo, requiring residents to retrieve and properly maintain these items in accordance with regulations by 30 November 2026. The Council stated the move is part of ongoing efforts to address issues causing public inconvenience on the island. In an announcement, the Council said individuals using such materials in various parts of the island and at their homes must retrieve them before the deadline and rectify their use as per relevant regulations. The Council noted that leaving items on roads violates the Public Nuisance Regulation published in the Government Gazette on 31 December 2013, and the Regulation on the Use of Netting Materials (No: 2013/R-2024), also published on the same date. Additionally, the Council highlighted that discarded netting increases health hazards and compromises the island's general cleanliness, a point it said had been raised on multiple occasions. Beyond netting, the Council requested residents to remove encroaching tree branches, trim and clean branches, and fix water leaks from junctions into neighboring house yards. The Council warned that if these matters are not rectified by the 30 November deadline, measures will be taken according to regulations, and after the deadline, actions regarding fishing nets and traps will follow procedures determined by the Council.