Vilufushi pole-and-line FAD breaks off

The pole-and-line FAD in Th. Vilufushi has broken off.

The Th. Vilufushi pole-and-line FAD was deployed 9 miles east of the island in December 2023. The FAD broke off sometime last week. While drifting, the buoy was retrieved by the "Roalhi" dhoni operating in the area and taken to Th. Hirilandhoo last Thursday. Fishermen in the area expressed a strong desire for the FAD to be replaced quickly.

The President of the Th. Vilufushi Council, Hussain Jabeen, stated that the report of the broken FAD has now been communicated to the Fisheries Ministry in accordance with general procedures. A comment from the Fisheries Ministry could not be obtained regarding the matter.

Out of the 6 FADs specifically deployed for pole-and-line fishing in Th. Atoll, 2 FADs have now broken off. These are the Hirilandhoo FAD and the Vilufushi FAD.