Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has stated the fish processing capacity at the Kooddoo Fisheries Complex will be increased to 800 tonnes. He made the statement while responding to questions at the Parliament of the Maldives regarding complaints from fishermen about the lack of fish processing capacity.
Responding to the questions, Minister Hassan said the government is working to implement short-term and long-term solutions to increase the processing capacity during periods when fishermen are able to catch a large amount of fish. The minister noted that fishermen in the southern region, especially near Kooddoo, are able to catch a large amount of fish during good conditions. Citing statistics from the past 10 years, he said the Maldives will see good fishing conditions in August and September, and predicted that a large amount of fish will be caught between October and January next year.
Furthermore, Minister Hassan said the capacity of the Kooddoo Fisheries Complex can be increased within the next three months by purchasing two to three boats with cold storage units. He said the ministry is in discussions with the President’s Office to purchase the boats and increase the fish processing capacity by 400 tonnes in the short term.
The government is undertaking several projects to strengthen the fisheries sector and provide a fair and just income for local fishermen. As such, the expansion of Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) facilities in Kooddoo, Gaafu Alifu Atoll and Felivaru, Lhaviyani Atoll, as well as the development of other facilities are currently ongoing.
Additionally, MIFCO has brought in boats with cold storage capacity to alleviate the overload on the carrying capacity of the southern fleet, which includes a boat capable of purchasing and transporting 100 tonnes of fish per day, a boat capable of storing 300 tonnes of fish and a reefer carrier with a storage capacity of 2,400 tonnes.