Due to the remarkable improvement in fishing in the south, some fishing boats have received MVR 1 million with each fisherman receiving an average of MVR 25,000.

Hussain Manik, the captain of “Safeena” boat from GDh Fares-Maathodaa, told RaajjeMV that his boat received MVR 1.3 million at the end of the week with each fisherman receiving more than MVR 25,000.

“Safeena” boat had also caught a record 43 tonnes of fish last Saturday.

The captain said that the boat has the capacity for 100 tonnes of fish, but they have been restricting the amount they catch due to Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) distributing inadequate amounts of ice. The boat was docked for two days without receiving any ice and had to go to Fuvahmulah and buy some from a private party at an inflated price, said 53-year-old Manik.

Fishermen have complained of not receiving ice from any of MIFCO’s eight ice plants in the southern atolls. However, MIFCO has denied this.

The fishermen have said that some boats would be able to catch almost MVR 2 million worth of fish, with each fisherman receiving MVR 40,000, if it were not for the unavailability of ice.