Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ahmed Shiyam, has stated that work is underway to complete and start using the cold storage facilities in Felivaru and Thinadhoo this year. The Minister said this in a special interview with PSM News regarding the ministry’s work. The government says that one of the biggest challenges currently facing the Maldivian fishing industry is the shortage of cold storage facilities. To address this, the government is working on establishing cold storage facilities in different regions of the country.
Minister Shiyam said that if the cold storage shortage is resolved, fish exports can be controlled according to the catch. He noted that currently, fish are being exported not because companies want to buy them, but due to storage limitations, which has led to challenges in obtaining fair prices for fish. However, the Minister highlighted that the construction of cold storage facilities will greatly improve opportunities to get better prices for fish.
The Minister stated that if cold storage capacity is increased and fish can be stored, better prices can be obtained. He said the government is working on increasing cold storage capacity. “We are rapidly progressing with the work needed to complete the facility being established in Thinadhoo. For the Felivaru cold storage, we are working with the contractor to speed up the process. We hope to bring both the Felivaru and Thinadhoo cold storage facilities into operation before the end of this year,” the Minister said.
Minister Shiyam also mentioned that a Saudi company has been awarded the contract to build a cold storage facility in M. Mulaku. This is a project being carried out under Saudi funding. He said that the Mulaku cold storage facility will also be operational soon after work begins.
The government’s goal is to increase the total fish storage capacity in the Maldives by an additional 15,500 tons during this term, bringing the total capacity to 25,000 tons across the country.
