Maldives needs to have power in fisheries market: Shiyam

Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam said last night that as Maldives has the highest fishing output on the global market, the nation needs to have power within the market.

During the official meeting held last night at R. Dhuvaafaru to mark Fishermen's Day, Shiyam stated that 50 percent of the fish from pole and line fishing on the world market is exported from Maldives. The minister said that this is because Maldives' closest competitor, Japan, does not export their fish.

"Fish caught in Japan are sold to their domestic market, making 50 percent of the fish caught by pole and line fishing brought to the world market being exported by Maldives. As Maldives is exporting fish at such a scale to the world market, the nation needs to have power in the market," said the minister.

The minister spoke in detail regarding the issues plaguing the fisheries industry in Maldives during last night's meeting. He also revealed some policies that have been determined to diversify the fisheries industry.

With that, he stated that work in mariculture and the commercial revival of new species such as seaweed are areas that will be developed.

Minister Shiyam stated last night that the introduction of a new generation of fishing vessels to the current fleet is a policy of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and a prototype will be built very soon.

The last time fishing vessels that have been in use for a long time in Maldives saw a change be introduced was in the 1990s, when STO's FPID unveiled the "Second Generation" fishing vessels. FPID's boatyard at the time went bankrupt due to their unsuccessful attempt to implement a change from the government to fishing vessels. However, the establishment of water cooling systems on current fishing vessels have begun and is proceeding at a slow and steady pace.