Fish Purchasing by MIFCO Drops Significantly

The amount of fish weighed by vessels to the state-owned fish company, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO), has dropped significantly.

According to MIFCO's statistics, the volume of fish weighed by vessels to MIFCO's facilities in the first two weeks of this month was very low. In the first week of this month (from the 1st to the 7th), Addu Fisheries Complex (AFC), Kooddoo Fisheries Complex (KFC), and Felivaru Fisheries Complex (FFC) weighed 504.5 metric tonnes of fish. Furthermore, in the second week of this month (from the 8th to the 14th), a total of 243.8 metric tonnes of fish was weighed. This represents a 51.7% decrease when comparing the two weeks.

Over the two-week period, the highest amount of fish was weighed on the 5th of this month. On that day, 46 dhonis weighed 155 metric tonnes of fish to KFC and FFC. The lowest amount of fish was weighed on the 10th of this month. On that day, only two vessels weighed fish to KFC and FFC, totalling just 4 metric tonnes of fish.

The volume of fish weighed has dropped so drastically mainly due to three reasons. These include bad weather during the period, poor fishing, and difficulties in obtaining fuel. Due to these conditions, many vessels did not go fishing, while some vessels that did catch fish during this period opted to weigh their catch to private companies.