The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has revealed that the new fish processing vessel called Jazeera 103 has been added to the fleet. The operation of the newly commissioned vessel was inaugurated by Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer.
MIFCO stated that the vessel had begun operations to increase its fishing capacity. Jazeera 103 has a brine freezing capacity of 120 MT and a storage capacity of 420MT.
Speaking at the ceremony to mark the launch of the vessel, Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan said that fishermen in the southern region, especially near Kooddoo in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, are able to catch a large amount of fish during good conditions. He said that the fishermen of the south have to go to Kooddoo Fisheries Complex to process fish and they have to spend a lot of money on fuel as a result. He, therefore, said that fishermen will be able to buy fish easily in the south with the new vessel in close proximity.
Additionally, Minister Hassan said that boats arrive at Kooddoo to process 900MT of fish but fishermen are concerned about the lack of fish processing capacity. He said that previous governments have not worked to develop the fish processing capacity and he said the current government has invested in the fisheries sector to an extent never before.
Furthermore, Minister Hassan said the government is undertaking several projects to strengthen the fisheries sector and provide a fair and just income for local fishermen. He said that the government is also assisting in the installation of ice plants and installation of Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) systems on fishing boats to ensure that the fish caught is fresh and stored.