A tug boat belonging to a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company has been fined MVR 20 million after the boat ran aground near Dhiyaneru lagoon.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a statement that the tug boat arrived in Maldives on 23 September, and ran aground a day later.

EPA said it conducted a joint survey on September 28, 2023 with surveyors appointed by the ship's owner on the reef to assess the extent of damage to the reef, and that an area of 804 square meters was damaged in the area where the tug landed.

"The Middle East Marine LLC, the owner of the vessel, was fined 20,246,600 (twenty million two hundred forty-six thousand six hundred) on June 3, 2024," the EPA said in a statement.

The EPA said it had been asked to pay the fine amount to the agency within 30 days.