Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has stated that the country's fish exports can be doubled by increasing fish product output.
Speaking to the state media PSM, Minister Shiyam highlighted that the main obstacle to securing fair prices for fish caught by Maldivian fishermen is the limited storage capacity. Therefore, to address this issue, the government is making significant investments to expand storage facilities, with results expected within the current presidential term.
The minister said the government’s five-year goal is to increase fish storage capacity to 25,000 tonnes. He said that contracts have been handed over to various companies and are already underway in three regions of the country. Key projects underway include a 1,500-tonne fish storage and 50-tonne processing facility in F. Nilandhoo, an additional 100-tonne fish processing facility in Felivaru, and a 3,000-tonne fish storage with a 100-tonne-per-day processing facility in GDh. Fiyoari.
“I am confident that, hopefully, through our efforts, we will be able to export more than ninety percent of the domestic catch as canned or pouched goods, or as other value-added products,” he said.
The minister added that increasing the fish storage capacity will also boost the profits of the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO). This, in turn, will be more beneficial for fishermen, bringing about more profit and ease, he added.
Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam
