Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has assured that the government is providing numerous solutions to address the concerns of fishermen.
Responding to questions at the Parliament of the Maldives, Minister Hassan said the administration is working harder than any previous government to solve the challenges faced by fishermen. He noted the longstanding issue of fish processing and said previous governments had not made adequate investments towards fixing the problem and commended President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for prioritising efforts to increase processing capacity.
Additionally, Minister Hassan said fishing generally improves during October and April, which also leads to challenges in fish processing. He gave details on the solutions to be implemented to increase the capacity, such as building cold storage facilities in Kooddoo Fisheries Complex, Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, and Mulak in Meemu Atoll through loans facilitated by the Saudi Development Fund (SDF). He added a cold storage facility and cannery will be built at the Felivaru Fisheries Complex through the credit facility provided by the EXIM Bank of India.
Furthermore, Minister Hassan said the government is issuing licenses for foreign vessels to purchase fish in the Maldives. The government is also procuring more vessels for Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) to increase fish processing capacity. One of the biggest concerns of fishermen is the amount of time taken to process their catch.