Mustafa vows to propose resolution against permission for Lankan fishermen to enter Maldives territorial waters

Mohamed Mustafa, MP for Thimarafushi Constituency and outspoken member of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party has vowed today to propose a resolution in the People’s Majlis against the government decision to permit Sri Lankan fishermen to enter Maldivian territorial waters on their way to the Arabian Sea.

Mustafa said that Lankan authorities had been trying to get the permission for years, and that their objective was to get access to fishing areas in the Arabian Sea, between the Gulf of Aden and Seychelles.

Mustafa said that permission to enter Maldivian territorial waters should in no circumstances be given to anybody without the consent of the people, as the Maldivian territory “was something that belonged to the people and nobody else”. He proposed a referendum to be conducted in order to see whether the people would consent to giving such permission.

“The Maldivian people would not tolerate this. I have now brought this concern to the notice of all authorities, including Foreign Minister Naseem. We know that there is a move to commit theft from the Maldivian resources. This will destroy our fisheries industry, and I am here to do everything that needs to be done against this”, Mustafa said.

While Mustafa, an influential member of the ruling MDP condemned the government decision to allow Sri Lankan fishermen to cross Maldivian waters, Divehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) the main opposition has also condemned the government’s decision. DRP said that this was in practice a license to go fishing in the Maldivian waters, and that this would be the beginning of a series of such licensing.

DRP called on the government to immediately call off the whole arrangement and revoke the permission.