Pledges to fishermen unfulfilled, no support for Govt.: MP Shareef

Parliamentary representative for Maradhoo Constituency Ibrahim Shareef says that the Government’s pledges to fishermen are yet to be fulfilled and based on this alone, it was safe to say fishermen would not vote for the Government.

Speaking in RaajjeTV’s Fala Surukhee program, MP Shareef said fishermen continue to face issues in weighing their catch; an issue both the current administration and previous ones had failed to adequately address.

Shareef further said Maldives had a unique and sustainable perspective on fisheries, at a time when globally the sector was in a slump. He stressed that a fish conservation system needed to be implemented in the Maldives, as well as a system to weight in fish.

MP Shareef further said that fish processing factories of companies such as MIFCO needed to be upgraded in order to save costs. This, he said, was essential in competing against nations such as Thailand in the sector.

Shareef also stressed on the need to take a more strategic role in the sector.

Referring to the Government’s Beyas Nubeyas fishermen’s insurance scheme, MP Shareef said that fishermen were not adequately informed and educated on the scheme, adding that Fisheries Minister Dr. Mohamed Shainee must take responsibility for lack of awareness on it.