Seaweed grown in Fehendhoo ready for export

Seaweed cultivated in Baa Atoll Fehendhoo is ready for export, marking a milestone for the Maldives’ first commercial seaweed farming project.

The initiative, launched by private company Floating Acres Pvt Ltd, began earlier this year and was inaugurated in February by Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam.

In a post on X yesterday, Shiyam said the project had achieved “very successful” results since its launch eight months ago and that preparations were now under way for the first export shipment.

“This project, which started eight months ago in Fehendhoo, has successfully reproduced seaweed in the Maldives and is ready for export. I would like to congratulate Floating Acres Pvt Ltd and its team,” he wrote.

Shiyam said the development represented a major step forward for the country’s blue economy and aligned with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s goal of expanding the sustainable use of marine resources.

The government has pledged to develop mariculture into a profitable national industry.

The Fehendhoo project cultivates a seaweed variety used in food, medicine, and cosmetics. The crop is processed and dried before export.