MIFCO Preparing to Reach Business Agreement with UK Buyer

Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has stated that the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) is preparing to hold discussions to reach a business agreement with a major UK buyer.

Following a report by a local newspaper claiming that the UK and European countries had "blacklisted" and "banned" MIFCO, the Minister refuted the news in a post shared on his Twitter account, stating he has information that a UK buyer is coming to the Maldives next week to hold discussions with MIFCO. The Minister made this statement likely to further assure that the UK has not ceased business transactions with MIFCO.

A news article published in a local newspaper claimed that the UK and European countries had "blacklisted" and "banned" MIFCO following a failed audit. The Minister stated that the information shared in the news is false.

"This is an outright lie. I would like to state that neither the EU nor the UK has blacklisted the Maldivian fisheries company MIFCO or any active Maldivian fisheries company," the Minister stated.

The Minister stated that since fishing is the lifeblood of Maldivians and many families rely on fishing for their livelihood, spreading such false information by a registered news agency in a way that would bring hardship to the families working in this industry and the entire country is a very irresponsible act of journalism.

MIFCO has also denied this news. MIFCO stated that no UK or European country has informed them that the company has been "blacklisted" or "banned".