The Fisheries Ministry has stated that psychosocial support was provided to fishermen on Maldivian fishing vessels that were boarded by Indian Coast Guard troops while fishing in the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone.
During a press conference held yesterday by the Ministry to detail the achievements of the government's 'Haftha-14' roadmap, Minister Ahmed Shiyam responded to a journalist's question regarding whether the reason for the Indian troops boarding Maldivian fishing vessels had been clarified. The Minister stated that concerns had been raised regarding the issue and that the condition of the fishermen was closely monitored. He added that psychosocial support was provided to the crew of some of the vessels following the incident. However, the Minister did not disclose details on how many fishermen received psychosocial support or how it was conducted.
"Following that, we believed that some vessels needed assistance... based on that belief, the Ministry has provided psychological support to them," the Minister said.
The Minister did not provide any details regarding the incident of Indian Coast Guard troops boarding Maldivian fishing vessels. He stated that assurances have been given that the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry will handle matters related to the incident, and that those two ministries are already undertaking the relevant actions.
"As you know, the Defense Ministry has been sharing that information extensively with the media. And the Foreign Ministry has assured us that they will do what needs to be done regarding this matter. And the reasons for it and why it happened. They would have clarified those matters with the relevant ministry more so than us," the Minister said.
The government previously stated that the Foreign Ministry had sent a letter to the Indian government requesting a written explanation for why Indian troops boarded the fishing vessels. However, it has not yet been disclosed to the media whether a response was received. The Defense Ministry has so far only confirmed that it was Indian troops who boarded the fishing vessels. To clarify how this incident occurred, the Defense Minister was summoned to the Parliament's National Security Committee on February 21, 2024. However, the committee meeting was held in secret, so the media was unable to obtain that information. Therefore, to date, it remains unclear how this incident unfolded.
Indian troops boarded fishing vessels operating in the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone north of Thiladhunmathi on January 31 and February 1. The Indian troops boarded the vessels Asuruma-3, Niru-7, and Maahoara-3.
