Fishing crews that have had their hauls weight at the embattled Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company’s (MIFCO) facility in Kooddoo island have expressed concern over delay in payment. 

A member of one of these crews, who chose not to have their name revealed, said that they have yet to be paid for haul that MIFCO weighed and took on Saturday. 

Other crews have also expressed similar concerns, they say that not receiving payment immediately, especially for large amounts of fish, impacts their ability to find other means to keep haul fresh.

MIFCO attested that there has been a distinctive rise in haul from the south, which has not yet slowed. The company said they have weighed about 1,800 tons in the last three days alone. They only weighed 150 tons in the last six months. The company previously said they raised their capacity to weigh from 400 to 720 tons and their capacity to store hauls on ice from 216 to 612 tons.

This unusual boom in the south has led to commercial boats operating there, who ordinarily sell their haul to MIFCO itself and receive payment there, lining up at their facilities. 10 vessels were kept overnight at Kooddoo island this Sunday.