Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has inaugurated the commencement of practical works for the land reclamation project for a fish processing factory and harbour development in Fiyoaree, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam, Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib as well as Member of Parliament for the constituency, Ashraf Rasheed.
The project has been contracted to San Pvt Ltd. A total of 6.5 hectares of land will be dredged for the development of a canning factory in Fiyoaree.
The project’s scope includes a new 3,000-tonne cold storage facility, revising original plans for a 1,500-tonne facility. It also includes the establishment of a fish meal plant that has the capacity to produce 100 tonnes per day. According to the Fisheries Ministry, the first phase, including land reclamation and harbour development, will be completed in 420 days.
In April last year, an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract was signed with a Chinese company for the project. Once the projects are completed, 81,000 tonnes of fish can be canned and pouched in the Maldives.
According to the Ministry, the project will bring a brighter future to fishing families in Fiyoaree and the wider Huvadhoo Atoll, while supporting economic prosperity and driving regional development.