According to the police, the fishermen have threatened to force out all senior employees of the Addu Fisheries Complex from the factory and hinder the fish preparation process if there is no proper response to their protest.
Approximately 80 fishermen have staged a protest in Hulhumeedhoo, Addu City, near the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Ltd (MIFCO) harbor, over unpaid dues.
Police stated that, according to the fishermen, the protest will continue until 12:00 hrs today.
According to the police, the fishermen have threatened to force out all senior employees of the Addu Fisheries Complex from the factory and hinder the fish preparation process if there is no proper response to their protest.
They had also protested near the complex last evening over non-payment for their catch weighed at the factory.
Fishermen have raised concerns over the delayed payments for their catch weighed at MIFCO over the past one and a half months. The unpaid dues during this period have now accumulated to MVR 80 million (USD 5.2 million).
MIFCO said that the company has deposited MVR 46 million (USD 2,985,357.68), a portion of the outstanding payments owed to fishermen last week.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had committed to expedite payments within 48 hours of fish processing.
However, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam stated yesterday that fulfilling the promises made to fishermen would be challenging without first improving the financial situation of both the State and MIFCO.
Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam stated that over MVR 250 million (USD 16.2 million) had not been paid to fishermen when President Muizzu assumed office. He noted that over MVR 850 million (USD 55.2 million) has been paid to fishermen before the end of the first six months of the new government.
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