Minister Shiyam unaware that Kooddoo ran out of fuel for fishermen for two days

Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has stated that he was unaware that diesel supplies had run out at GA. Kooddoo, the country’s primary hub for fish processing and refueling, leaving fishermen without fuel for two days.

The Minister's remarks come amid complaints from fishermen who have been unable to go out to sea since Saturday due to a diesel shortage. Speaking to RaajjeMV, a senior official at Kooddoo confirmed that the diesel supplied by STO had run out. The official explained that the shortage was caused by a loading issue, adding that the matter would be resolved by Monday, at which point diesel would once again be available to fishermen.

RaajjeTV raised inquiries regarding the matter during a press conference held by the Crisis Committee. In response, Minister Shiyam explained that fuel distribution is a complex operation, noting that there have been instances where even MIFCO’s own operational fuel requirements faced delays. The Minister further stated that he had not received any reports of fishermen being unable to access fuel for a period of two days.

If you could specify the exact dates, I can look into the volume of fish landed during that period. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a single day where fishing vessels were unable to go out to sea due to a lack of fuel. As someone who monitors the fish reports regularly, I am unable to identify a specific day when this occurred. I will, however, look into the exact quantity of fish landed on that particular day and get back to you. By the grace of God, fuel is being supplied consistently. However, there are two factors at play here. One is that logistical challenges may cause some delays. Secondly, there must be an agreement from the Ministry of Finance for FSM or STO to provide fuel to MIFCO. In such cases, there might be instances where fuel is available but cannot be released until those arrangements are finalized. While there may have been delays of a day or two due to such circumstances, these were merely delays and not a total failure to provide fuel.

Minister of Fisheries, Ahmed Shiyam

The Minister stated that 10 tonnes of fish were weighed at Kooddoo on the 11th, followed by 75 tonnes on the 12th. Regarding payments, 430,386 Rufiyaa was disbursed on the 11th, with an additional 1,073,211 Rufiyaa released on the 12th. Consequently, fishermen are now able to resume their operations. The Minister further noted that fishing remains productive during this period and confirmed that MIFCO is making necessary preparations. This includes deploying vessels to various regions to ensure fishermen do not have to travel long distances.