The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has arranged for vessels intending to weigh their catch at the Kooddoo Fisheries Complex (KFC) in GA. Atoll to also obtain queue numbers from the company's ice plant in Hithadhoo, Addu City.
MIFCO made this arrangement because the current period is a good fishing season, with many vessels out fishing and heading to Kooddoo to weigh their catch. Anticipating long waiting times in the queue, the measure was taken to make it easier for these vessels to secure a queue number.
The Hithadhoo ice plant began issuing queue numbers today for vessels wanting to weigh fish at Kooddoo. With this addition, the number of centers issuing queue numbers has reached six. Previously, in addition to Kooddoo, queue numbers were being issued from the ice plants in GDh. Gadhdhoo, GDh. Thinadhoo, GDh. Faresmaathodaa, and GA. Gemanafushi.
With the improvement in fishing during this period, the fish weighing queue line has grown long once again. It is common for storage to reach full capacity and queue lines to grow when large amounts of fish are caught during a good fishing season. The government is currently undertaking major projects to expand the storage capacity of these facilities. With the government's plan for the development of the fisheries industry, the time fishermen spend waiting in fish queues will come to an end. Minister of Fisheries Ahmed Shiyam has stated that this will be the last year fishermen will have to wait in queues.
