Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) factory in Gaaf Alif Kooddoo has started listing boats that want to weigh their catch in a 10-day queue.

Fishermen from two boats who went to Kooddoo on Saturday and Sunday told Adhadhu that MIFCO waitlisted them to weigh fish on February 19 and 20.

MIFCO employees in Kooddoo did not say why they stopped weighing fish on the same day.

The fishermen also said fishing was good these days and a boat travelled to Laamu Gan after getting on the 10-day waitlist in Kooddoo on Sunday.

MIFCO officials said they had received reports of a queue in Kooddoo and is investigating the issue.

In December, the government started paying boats with accounts at the Bank of Maldives (BML) within 48 hours of weighing their catch.

The fishermen allege that the 10-day waitlist was introduced because MIFCO might face issues in disbursing money when fishing is good. They expressed concern over the losses being caused as a result of this.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu pledged to pay fishermen within 48 hours of weighing their catch. But the money was not disbursed and fishermen protested on several occassions last year.

Muizzu also pledged to keep the rate of a fish kilo above MVR 20. But the government started paying fishermen within 48 hours after bringing down the price of a fish kilo to between MVR 5 and MVR 16.