The Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Ahmed Shiyam has announced that the cold storages being developed in Felivaru and Thinadhoo are expected to be completed and operational within the current year. The Minister shared the update in an interview given to state media outlet, PSM News.
The Minister noted that one of the most significant challenges facing the fisheries industry of the Maldives is the lack of adequate cold storage infrastructure. As part of the efforts to address this, the government is actively working to establish cold storage facilities across various parts of the country, he said.
In his interview, Minister Shiyam said if the issue of lack of cold storage can be resolved, the timely export of the catch can be maintained. He explained that the lack of proper storage has meant that fish exports are often not aligned with buyer demand, which has created challenges in securing the best prices. However, the Minister noted that the establishment of additional cold storages will greatly enhance the opportunity to get a better price for fish exports. The government is taking necessary steps to increase cold storage, he stated.
"The efforts to complete the facility in Thinadhoo are progressing rapidly. We are also working with the contractor to expedite the work of the Felivaru cold storage. While we hope to bring the Felivaru cold storage into operation before the end of this year, we also aim to bring the Thinadhoo cold storage to operational status. This is what we are working towards," the Minister said.
The Minister noted that the construction of a cold storage in Mulaku of Meemu Atoll has been awarded to a Saudi Arabian company. While the project is funded under the Saudi Fund for Developent Saudi-funded project, the cold storage is also expected to be brought to operational status soon after the project kicks off, he stated.
The government aims to increase the fish storage capacity of the country to 25,000 tonnes by adding an additional 15,500 tonnes during the current presidential term.