Fish shortage forces hundreds of PAFCO employees off work

Hundreds of workers at PAFCO in Levuka have been forced to stay home after being informed of a shortage in fish supply, while the CEO of PAFCO has confirmed that the reason behind the fish supply shortage is that the Albacore species, which forms a key part of their loining production, is seasonal.

While speaking to fijivillage News, Mereani Waqanitoga, a villager from Natokalau in Levuka, says it has been almost three months since she has had work.

Waqanitoga says the company does not provide any financial assistance to the workers, and they were told that after two weeks, they can apply for their FNPF.

She adds that previously, about 30 to 40 people from her village were employed at PAFCO, but now only six remain.

Waqanitoga also highlighted that the fish supply continues to decline every two weeks, and as a result, the number of active workers keeps decreasing.

The 32-year-old says she started working at PAFCO in 2019, and this is the first time she has been sent home due to a shortage.

She adds that before this happened, there were already rumours circulating that some workers would be rostered off due to the limited fish supply. 

PAFCO CEO, Saiyed Raiyum clarifies that this year’s catch has been lower due to natural cycles and economic disruptions, including reduced demand from the US-based customers affected by recent tariff policies.

He says those affected employees continue to have access to internal support channels, and they remain in communication with them regarding potential resumption of duties.

Raiyum says they are committed to providing transparent updates and exploring ways to ease the temporary disruption.

Raiyum also highlighted that they are expected to ease by the end of the quarter, and they hope to recover trends that will support and improve stability.

He adds they are exploring options to diversify their supply chain and invest in more sustainable sourcing methods, which include potential partnerships with additional Pacific fisheries and continuing the focus on long-term ecological stewardship.