Hoarafushi island’s council has asked the state to have a fishing vessel that can weigh the yields of the entire atoll, given an ongoing boom in fishing in Haa Alifu Atoll.

A letter addressed to the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) says that the council has received a number of complaints about how the atoll’s massive fish yield cannot be properly weighed and therefore priced.

The council said that fishing crew in Haa Alifu Atoll have been forced to sell their yield at prices less than their worth because of this reason.

“This has caused discord among fishing vessels in the atoll and a collective disdain towards the state, as it not only affects profits of individual vessels but the region’s economic welfare” the letter said.

The council said that the atoll’s fishermen yield 3 to 4 tonnes every day. Roughly 12-16 fishing vessels operate in Haa Alifu Atoll.