Maldives sees a decline in fish export during the month of January this year by nearly 50 percent in comparison to the same month last year. This decline was caused by the low export of skipjack tuna.
The export of fish from Maldives has declined to 50 percent in the month of January.
Statistics disclosed by the Central Bank has revealed that this year, January saw the export of 4,500 metric ton of fish while the month of January in the preceding year had exported 8,500 metric tons of fish.
This significant decline is owed to the decreased export of the skipjack tuna. In the month of January, 2,200 metric tons of skipjack tuna was exported out of the country which is approximately a 49 percent decline in comparison to the 6,100 metric tons of skipjack tuna exported in January last year.
Along with the decline of frozen and iced fish exported in last January, canned tuna export has also seen a decline of 55 percent.
Last year, 78,000 metric tons of fish were exported out of the country. While export has significantly reduced, the biggest exporter of fish from Maldives, Ensis Fisheries had closed down their factory and ceased their purchase of fish towards the end of last year. Ensis had relinquished their fish business due to the government's increase of single fish purchase rate to MVR 25 per kilo, which had impeded their business.
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