Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture has announced that 12 ice plants will be developed in various parts of the country by next year. This includes the ice plants currently under development as well as the ice plants that have been budgeted for this year.
The government is working to establish ice plants across the country to make ice easily available for fishermen. As part of the efforts, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has built the capacity to produce 825 tonnes of ice per day from the 20 ice plants currently operating in the atolls. MIFCO stated there are still challenges in providing the necessary ice required by fishermen, adding efforts are underway to develop more ice plants to address the issue.
The fisheries ministry stated that 12 ice plants will be built in various parts of the country and that the ice plants to be built in Mulah in Meemu Atoll, Gemanafushi in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, and Gadhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll will have a capacity of 50 tonnes, while the other ice plants will have a capacity of 25 tonnes.
Contractors have been hired to develop five of the ice plants, while another five are in the evaluation phase, and finances are being allocated to develop two ice plants. The latest ice plant to be developed was in Feeali, Faafu Atoll, in June.
The government had also opened four ice plants on the occasion of Fishermen’s Day in 2021. The ice plants were opened in Maduvvari in Raa Atoll, Gaafaru in Kaafu Atoll, Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll, and the Felivaru Fisheries Complex.
As part of the efforts to reduce the dependency of fishermen on ice plants, work is being done to install Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) systems on fishing vessels. In this regard, RSW systems have already been established in some fishing vessels. The government believes fishing vessels can store fish for a longer time with RSW systems, and that it will help in further developing the fisheries industry.