Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture has revealed over 55,000 metric tonnes of fish have been purchased from local fishing vessels this year.
As per the statistics of the fisheries ministry, 55,978 metric tonnes of fish were purchased by the end of September. The largest purchases were made during the first three months of the year, with 9,129 tonnes in January, 8,831 tonnes in February and 7,609 tonnes in March.
The statistics further revealed skipjack tuna was the highest selling type of fish, with 43,689 tonnes of skipjack tuna purchased by different companies this year. Meanwhile, 11,401 tonnes of yellowfin tuna, 523 tonnes of grouper and 177 tonnes of bigeye tuna were also purchased by the end of September this year. The ministry revealed 4 tonnes of reef fish were also sold by local fishing vessels during this period.
The fisheries ministry further revealed Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) alone had issued USD 35 million to fishermen by the end of August. Meanwhile, fishermen and individuals working in the fisheries sector also received USD 2.5 million as income support allowance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.