MIFCO Harbour Upgrade in Addu Set for Completion by End of April

The government has confirmed that the expansion of the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) harbour in Hulhumeedhoo, Addu Atoll, is expected to be completed by the end of April.

The project, which supports operations at the MIFCO Addu Fisheries Complex, has reached a key milestone, with 90 per cent of construction now completed.

The contract for the harbour expansion was awarded to The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) in 2019, placing the development among the country’s priority infrastructure projects. The existing harbour has long limited the efficient purchasing and offloading of fish catch and has restricted access for larger vessels, prompting the need for an upgrade to improve capacity and operational efficiency.

Project authorities have indicated that the majority of physical construction work has been completed, with remaining activities focused on pavement works and the construction of the access ramp. Final works are progressing steadily, and the project is expected to be completed and handed over within the next two to three months.

MIFCO officials anticipate that the upgraded harbour will significantly improve export operations by enabling smoother logistics. The expanded infrastructure is intended to support more efficient handling of exports, as well as the transfer of fish stocks to other destinations when required.

The Addu Fisheries Complex, which has a storage capacity of 1,500 metric tonnes of fish, has previously faced ongoing challenges related to export bottlenecks. To address these issues, the harbour expansion includes major engineering works such as dredging of the harbour basin totalling 471,380 cubic metres, land reclamation covering 1,788 cubic metres, and the construction of a 97-metre quay wall.