Male-Lanka fisheries joint venture in the offing

FISHERIES SECTOR: The Maldivian senior opposition member and Shadow Minister of Fisheries in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Ibrahim Didi said that fishing industry is one of the major revenue source of the country and hope to go for a joint venture with Sri Lanka.

He said that Sri Lanka and Maldives sharing the same sea area which is quite prudent to go for a joint venture with a leading fishing company in Sri Lanka under their administration.

At present Maldives produces canned and frozen fish exports to many countries. In the form of canned fish they export to European countries, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia and many more.

He said that present government under the President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's administration does not exploit in a proper manner to improve the industry and fishing licenses are given to politically close people of the government.

Didi said they export fish in cooked and dry form but no proper regulations and standards are followed to penetrate into European markets.

Further, the country is facing a political crisis following the arrest of one of their main opposition stalwarts. It is noticed that first sign of strength and vulnerability of Gayoom's regime. He has been successful in the same manner of the most toppled dictators in the Eastern Europe succeed in their initial stage. An effective police state is in place and it would go to any length to crack down the dissent stemming for local opposition.

Didi also said that nearly thousands of protestors who converged in support of their opposition leader in trial were kept away from the courthouse by riot police barricade violating all basic rights of the general public. It is said that more than 199 people were arrested within a week since May 14 of which 58 had been later released. Even eight detainees were tried and convicted in a court and in a hearing, which lasted in court.

Another observer said that the tourism industry in Maldives has recovered. "However whenever islands are allocated there is favouratism," he said. He said the government is not paying enough attention to develop the human recourse sector in the industry. "All the senior employees in the travel sector are foreigners," he said.

The conduct of Anni or Nasheed's trial itself is a case for concern so is charges laid against crime against the State and terrorism charges, which are fabricated and ridicule, MDP sources said.

Jennifer Latheef, daughter of founder of the MDP Mohamed Latheef who live in exile in Colombo is further evident that how the present government violation and impunity of the opposition party.