State Minister for Fisheries, Agricultural and Marine Resources, Aminath Hussain Shareef, has accused the previous Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration of using the nation’s fisheries industry as a political weapon. Speaking on MMTV’s “Bodu Khabaru” program, Shareef stated that no sustainable development was achieved within the sector over the past five years.

The State Minister highlighted that several projects, including the construction of factories in areas with insufficient population, were carried out without proper research or feasibility studies. In contrast, she noted that the current administration is focusing on data-driven planning, specifically regarding the establishment of cold storage facilities and other essential infrastructure.

Ahmed Sameer, Senior Political Director at the Ministry, further criticized the MDP for alleged negligence and exploitation of the fishing community. Sameer claimed that the previous government manipulated fishermen for political purposes, such as organizing protests and obstructing maritime traffic, while failing to bring actual progress to the country’s oldest industry.

Furthermore, Sameer pointed out that the sudden increase in fish prices to MVR 25 between the two rounds of the presidential election was a politically motivated move devoid of sincerity. He stated that this policy left the current government with an outstanding debt of MVR 280 million owed to fishermen. However, he confirmed that the issue has since been resolved, with a new system ensuring payments are settled within 24 hours of the catch being weighed.

To protect fishing families from global market fluctuations and low catch seasons, the government has stabilized the purchase price at MVR 20 per kilogram. Additionally, efforts are underway to provide subsidized fuel to fishing vessels to lower operational costs.