The protests launched by local fishers on Wednesday in light of government’s delay in fulfilling its pledges, and MVR 80 million in outstanding payments, were called off after the state assured to comply.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources on Thursday early hours, promised for diesel rate cuts ensuring fishers were able to refuel their vessels from inland sheds at a comparatively cheaper rate, and a no-go on its decision to incorporate longline fishing in yellowfin tuna fishing activities.
Earlier, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) said it was working with the government to pay the outstanding MVR 80 million to local fishers, and confirmed on Thursday it will be issuing MVR 46 million out of this total.
Led by the Bodu Kanneli Masveringe Union (BKMU), a local union of yellowfin tuna fishers, the protests raised concerns over longline fishing after the ministry held a meeting to discuss possibilities of incorporating the method into yellowfin tuna fishing activities.
The union, later on early Thursday hours, said it called off the protests after the government agreed to their demands of forgoing the decision to incorporate longline fishing, and promised to pay the pending payments along with rate cuts on diesel.
While MIFCO has assured to pay a total of MVR 46 million out of the pending total sometime on Thursday, the corporation added it was working to make a one-off payment to clear the remainder, though no specific date for this was provided.
MIFCO also acknowledged the pending payments to fishers as a major setback for the corporation, which it promised was diligently working to resolve quickly, and said it was working to transition MIFCO as an unsubsidized corporation.