The Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has stated that there are no plans to resume operations of the ice plant located in GDh. Fiyoaree.
The Fiyoaree ice plant has been out of operation for over two years. MIFCO's Manager Operations, Hamid Nazim, stated that the plant is old and damaged beyond repair, and that bringing it back into operation would require a significant expense. Therefore, after discussions with the government and the Fisheries Ministry, the management has decided not to resume operations of the ice plant, Nazim said. He added that this decision was also made because a new ice plant is included in the newly established fish factory project in Fiyoaree.
"That is an ice plant built by Fenaka during the MDP government. It has a lot of issues. It needs frequent repairs. If it is to be brought into operation, many things need to be done. It happened because it was neglected and left unattended during the past days when it was under Fenaka. Since an ice plant is included in the Fiyoaree fish factory project, it was decided not to incur additional expenses. So, with that in mind, the Fiyoaree ice plant has been left without repairs," Nazim said.
The existing ice plant in Fiyoaree is a 25-tonne ice plant built by Fenaka during the MDP government. Through the fish factory project in Fiyoaree, a high-quality 50-tonne block ice plant is being established.
The Fiyoaree fish factory is a newly announced fish factory by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's government to further develop fisheries in the south and resolve the difficulties faced by fishermen in weighing fish. It is also a presidential pledge of his. The facility is being developed to include a canning capacity of 100 tonnes per day, a 3000-tonne cold storage, a 100-tonne fish meal plant, and a 50-tonne ice plant. The government signed an MOU with China's Dongfang to build the fish factory on April 14, 2024. The company has agreed to complete the project within 18 months.
