Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) has stated that efforts are underway to resume the operations of Addu City's Fisheries Complex. The operations were halted due to ongoing protests by fishermen. The protests, which began on June 21 at the complex's harbour, have prompted the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to deploy officers to observe the situation.
MIFCO revealed in a news statement that the company's property were damaged and the rights of its employees were also violated during the ongoing protests. Noting that the protestors are interfering with the basic needs of the employees, the company stated that it is working with the relevant authorities to resolve the issue.
Furthermore, MIFCO stated that although protests in accordance to the law were acceptable, the damages done to the company's infrastructure and property were intolerable. The company also stated that protests were conducted in restricted areas, including the cold storage and the power house. As such, protestors have damaged the canteen and have caused power cuts in the accommodation units of the employees, preventing them to attend basic needs.
The demands of the protestors include the pending payments MIFCO owed to the fishermen. While MIFCO has completed the delayed payments of 2023, totalling to USD15 million, the company has repaid the fishing boats USD49.7 million to this date. The company additionally revealed that the remaining sum totalled to USD3 million, equivalent to payments for one year and 14 months.
MIFCO highlighted that the company was dependent on the government for financial assistance due to the loss of USD0.5 per kg of fish sold. The company stated that efforts are underway to complete the repayments, expressing regret over the delay. It additionally disclosed that fishermen who caused disturbances to the company's employees and disrupted the police in fulfilling their duties will be suspended from buying fish from MIFCO for three months