Tuna fishermen continue protest outside Malé harbor

The protest by tuna fishermen, which began this morning under the theme "Dhenneh nu fureyne, dhenneh nu vaane" (will not sail, not again), is still underway outside of Malé.

The protest started near the Hulhumalé Kanneli Jetty this morning with 49 vessels participating. The boats sailed towards Malé in the afternoon carrying various banners, but the MNDF Coast Guard intercepted and stopped them at a certain point.

The vessels are currently anchored just outside the main channel near the official jetty. The Coast Guard is maintaining a blockade of the channel to prevent the boats from entering the Malé lagoon. Beyond anchoring and keeping the lights on, no further activity is currently taking place.

The fishermen are demanding that the government, through MIFCO, begin purchasing their tuna catch, or that the government engages in dialogue with them to find alternative solutions. They maintain that the protest will continue until they receive a comprehensive response to their demands.

In response to the protest, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam issued a statement today. He confirmed that the government is preparing to begin the practical work on the new tuna processing facility in Hulhumalé in January next year.

The Minister also highlighted the government's efforts to address the issue of fuel costs, noting that, under special instruction from the President, an arrangement has been made through STO to provide fuel at the base rate in the Malé area, fulfilling a request made by tuna fishermen since June last year. He added that similar arrangements will be finalized to ensure fuel is available to fishermen at the STO rate in at least one island in every atoll by the end of March next year.

Mauroof Zakir, the Kendhoo constituency MP for the MDP and a leading figure in the tuna fishermen's union, countered the government's response. He argued that the government can immediately address the issue by utilizing MIFCO's existing storage and packing facilities at Kanduohgiri for tuna processing. 

While acknowledging that much more needs to be done for the industry's development, the Minister concluded with an assurance, stating: "Happy days are ahead for fishing families. This government is committed to finding meaningful solutions to the concerns of all types of fishermen in the Maldives."

Therefore, he insisted that these are not demands that the government is unable to fulfill. He suggested that the current administration was able to secure fishermen's votes and win the election because they included these commitments in their manifesto, implying that the capability to deliver on these promises exists.