Yellowfin Tuna Processing Plant in Hulhumale to Be Completed This Year, Minister Says

Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam said today that a dedicated yellowfin tuna processing facility in Hulhumalé will be completed within this year, with operations expected to begin once construction is finalised.

Speaking at a press briefing, minister said the facility is being developed in response to one of the main demands raised by yellowfin tuna fishermen, who had called for improved infrastructure to process their catch in Hulhumale. He noted that work on the plant is currently under way and that the government aims to finish the project and launch operations before the end of the year. 

The minister also reiterated that President Mohamed Muizzu had pledged to purchase yellowfin tuna through the state-owned Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO), and added that MIFCO began buying yellowfin tuna in December last year in line with that pledge.

Yellowfin tuna fishermen’s union staged protests last December, with fishermen surrounding the presidential jetty on fishing boats.  As demonstrations intensified, Shiyam met with representatives of the fishermen’s union on 15 December and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

Among the demands raised during the protests were for MIFCO to begin purchasing yellowfin tuna, the introduction of a minimum floor price between MVR 80 and MVR 100 per kilogram, and measures to ensure fishermen receive fuel at the lowest possible rates and have reliable access to ice. 

So far, only one of their demands have been met, which if MIFCO buying the tuna they catch. The tuna processing plant in Hulhumale would mark the second demand met by the government, as the minister has given assurance that the government will work towards meeting the unions’ demands.