A Joint Coordination Committee meeting for the "Promotion of Blue Economy in Fisheries Sector of the Maldives" project, conducted jointly by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Maldivian government, was held today.
The Fisheries Ministry stated that this is the final meeting held before the conclusion of the project. During the meeting, extensive discussions were held regarding the Fisheries Ministry's future plans to take the achievements of this project to the next level.
The meeting was attended by JICA officials, senior officials of the Ministry, and representatives from the Maldives Seafood Processors and Exporters Association, an organization representing fishing companies active in the fisheries industry under this project.
Under this project, which was carried out under an agreement signed between the Japanese government and the Maldivian government in 2014, studies were conducted in Japan and the Maldives on measures that can be taken to maintain the quality of yellowfin tuna, and the efforts that can be made to maintain the quality of the tuna in the Maldives were identified. Additionally, a pilot project was conducted to identify ways to keep bait used in pole-and-line fishing alive for longer periods, and through these studies, methods to prolong the life of bait were discovered. Furthermore, programs were conducted in three islands to teach ways to improve the quality of fisheries products, produce fish products on a "commercial scale," and introduce fish products to the market.
JICA, which coordinated the project, stated that the project's activities were very successful and that they are preparing to launch another similar project next year in collaboration with the Maldivian government.
