The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has announced the completion of the initial phase of expansion work at the Kooddoo fishing harbour in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, marking a significant milestone in the government's efforts to modernise the nation's fisheries sector.
The current 300-feet harbour which now accommodates only three vessels simultaneously, will be expanded to 1,000 feet providing substantially improved infrastructure for one of the Maldives' most important southern fishing communities. This development represents the fulfillment of a key government promise to enhance the capacity of the fish processing factory and address the longstanding challenges faced by fishermen.
The Kooddoo fishing harbour project represents the largest single investment in fisheries infrastructure in recent history, with the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources confirming an investment of USD 5.1 billion sourced from the Saudi Fund. According to MTCC’s progress reports, around 56 percent of the overall development work has been successfully completed, with the remaining construction and upgrades scheduled for finalisation by April next year. The comprehensive nature of the project is reflected in the detailed breakdown of construction progress, which indicates that 73 percent of dredging operations, 71 percent of shore protection work, 70 percent of inner seawall construction, and 18 percent of auxiliary infrastructure development have all been substantially advanced.
The government has emphasised the strategic importance of the Kooddoo fishing harbour development as a cornerstone initiative aimed at resolving the operational difficulties that fishermen in the region have historically encountered.