The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources revealed some new applicants from the 2018 applications have received their quotas effective from 2020. This, the ministry says, is to enable the industry to buy catches from them to enable the factories to continue operating and preserve employment. However, the ministry says, the evaluation of the 2018 fishing rights applications will only be completed by the end of next month. After this process the names of successful applicants as well as those who did not make it will be made public with reasons provided. Also, in the interest of transparency, the names of the applicants who were already operating in the industry as well as the new applicants will also be made public, the ministry committed. The ministry says the consideration for applications is 95% complete. The delay, it says, is caused by many factors, with the main one being COVID-19. The ministry also countered allegations that some of the companies who already had quotas and whose rights expired such as Tunacor were favoured.