The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources has announced that construction of the new 100-tonne cannery under the Felivaru expansion project is expected to begin in the middle of this year.
The project is aimed at increasing the processing capacity of Felivaru, which currently handles a significant share of the Maldives’ fish production.
Felivaru, the main production hub of the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO), has long served as the primary facility used to process the largest proportion of the country’s skipjack tuna catch. At present, the factory mainly processes fish intended for the Maldives market. The government has therefore launched several development initiatives to further expand operations at the facility.
Speaking on a programme aired on PSM News, Mohamed Muththalib, Minister of State for Fisheries and Marine Resources, said the existing cannery at Felivaru is an ageing facility that has been in operation for around 40 years. The plant currently seals about 35 tonnes of canned fish per day.
Muththalib said a Chinese company has been contracted to develop a modern facility capable of processing up to 100 tonnes of fish per day. Practical construction work on the new cannery is expected to begin in the middle of this year.
The first phase of the expansion project, referred to as Component A, is already under way in Felivaru. This phase includes the development of storage facilities with a capacity of 400 tonnes and infrastructure to handle up to 250 tonnes of fish per day.
Muththalib said the works under this phase are expected to be completed by June or July this year.
“The work is not progressing at the expected speed. But we are receiving considerable assistance from the Indian government, especially the Indian Embassy. The contractor is an Indian contractor and they need to accelerate the work,” Muththalib said.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources said the completion of the project will significantly increase MIFCO’s processing capacity and support the further development of the Maldives’ fisheries sector.
Officials added that the expansion will create opportunities to process larger volumes of fish and increase exports to international markets.