The Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Ahmed Shiyam, has promised to address the issue of soaring fuel prices for fishermen. In a recent meeting with local fishermen and council members in Naifaru, Lhaviyani Atoll, the Minister pledged to hold discussions with the State Trading Organisation (STO) and its subsidiary, Fuel Supply Maldives Private Limited (FSM), to explore options for providing affordable fuel to the fishermen.
In addition to addressing the fuel price concerns, Minister Shiyam also provided updates on the government’s fishermen registration programme during the meeting. He offered details on the registration process and outlined the associated benefits, emphasizing the availability of loans for installing Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) systems to support the local fishing industry.
Naifaru, well-known for its active fishing activities, currently operates around 25 fishing vessels, with a significant number of young residents involved in the fisheries sector.
Reducing fuel prices was among the demands from the fisher community during protests held earlier this year over unpaid dues; the government cleared all pending payments on July 1st.
