A group of fishermen staging a protest on Laamu Maandhoo have said that they would not stop their protest unless they are paid what is owed to them.
Fishermen from Laamu Atoll and Thaa Atoll started their strike on Maandhoo saying that the Fisheries Complex on the island has failed to pay them for months.
The Fisheries Complex on Maandhoo is operated by a local company named Horizon. The Fishermen quoted Horizon to say that they would only get paid in one month's time.
Speaking to 'The Press' on behalf of the protesting fishermen, the Vice President of Thaa Guraidhoo Mohamed Haanim said that several elderly fishermen, along with some participants of the protests and members of Laamu Atoll Council were now involved in discussions to resolve the issue.
He said that they are saying that Horizon is now working to arrange to pay the owed amounts to the fishermen.
But Hanim said Horizon itself had said that it would take 1 month to pay the fishermen and that this was unacceptable to the fishermen.
He said that their demand was to get paid on a daily basis or at least within one week. Hanim said that the fishermen would only end their protest once Horizon pays them what it owes them.
In a statement, Horizon said that because the price of fish has plummeted on the international market, private companies in the business were struggling.
It said that it was operating the fish factory at a loss and it was paying the fishermen by taking out loans and through the funds from other companies in their group of companies.
