Fisheries ministry team cancels GA. Dhevvadhoo trip as fishermen gear up for protest

The team from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources has cancelled a trip planned to Dhevvadhoo island of Gaaf Alif atoll, as the island’s fishing community gear up for protest.

Speaking to RaajjeMV, a fisherman from the island revealed that they were gearing up to rally against the government, because the incumbent administration of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has been greatly neglecting fishermen.

As a team from the fisheries ministry was scheduled to visit the island, the fisherman noted that they wanted to voice their concerns.

Stressing that the government has not fulfilled any of the promises made to fishermen so far, the fisherman noted that prices for their catches have also been slashed.

Further, fishermen stressed that the government is delaying the settlement of dues owed to fishermen and that the fishing industry is being harshly ignored.

RaajjeMV understands that the fisheries ministry team was scheduled to arrive on the island at 3pm on Friday.

However, the trip was cancelled at the last minute.

Speaking to RaajjeMV regarding the matter, an official at the island’s council revealed that the fishermen were very well-prepared for the protest.

However, they cited the ministry having revealed that the trip was cancelled due to the squally weather.

A team from the fisheries ministry has been visiting some islands in the south of Maldives to provide information about the project to establish RSW systems on fishing vessels as well as related loans.

The team consists of several political figures as well.

The ministry’s trip to the island has been cancelled at a time they were forced to turn back upon arrival in Dhaandhoo island in the same atoll on Thursday, after residents gathered at the harbor and blocked them from entering.

The infuriated fishing community and local residents of the island effectively expelled the fisheries ministry team, stating that residents and fishermen did not want the fisheries ministry team to enter because the island’s fishermen have not been paid for their catch for over a month, and many fishing boats are owed more than MVR 300,000 by the government.

They added that there was “nothing more” to discuss with ministry officials.

The team of officials that was expelled from the island include a deputy minister. Although the team was originally scheduled to arrive at 01:30pm on Thursday, they arrived during the Luhr prayer time while everyone was at the mosque.

The fisherman who provided information to RaajjeMV said that when the residents of the island exited the mosque after prayer and learned about the fisheries ministry team’s arrival, everyone gathered at the harbor and expelled them as the residents and the fishing community were against their arrival.

The issue of the government failing to settle fishermen’s dues has been churning turmoil within the industry for months now.

Citing the massive delay in settling their dues, fisherman have noted that this has led to several concerns raising within the fisher community, once again. Further, the fisherman noted that it was not acceptable to have to take to the streets to pour their concerns every time the payments get delayed.

Having painted a mesmerizing picture for the community, Muizzu came into power with huge promises made to fishermen.

Some of the many promises he made to the fisher community include ensuring their rights as well as paying them for catch upfront.

Despite embedding this “ideal” picture into fishermen’s minds, the incumbent administration has slashed the price of fish bought from fishing boats and significantly increased the price of oil.

Muizzu also promised that the government would make it possible for fishermen to get fuel at affordable rates, going on to promise that they would begin purchasing yellowfin tuna for MIFCO as well.

However, fishermen have been stressing that the government is yet to fulfil any of these promises, and bring life to the picture painted before coming into power.

Muizzu had back then assured that if he is elected, fishermen would be paid in US dollars for their catch within the first 48 hours.

Distressed fishermen have stressed that the percentage of people going fishing now has significantly gone down as they are not being paid, in turn resulting in less people growing fondness for fishing, which is considered a major lifeline of the country’s economy.

Over ten months since assuming office, the incumbent administration has failed embarrassingly in delivering promises made to the community, with fishermen saying that they do not know what happened to all the “big talk”.