Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has started purchasing large yellowfin tuna at its facility, Kanduoiygiri Fish Village.
MIFCO's CEO, Brigadier General (Retired) Farhath Shaheer, stated that the period of Kanduoiygiri being lost to the company has come to an end, and within a short time of it being handed back, the hardworking employees of the company have prepared Kanduoiygiri to purchase fish, and they have started buying yellowfin tuna from today. He added that in addition to Kanduoiygiri, large yellowfin tuna will also be purchased from the Male' region, and starting yesterday, yellowfin tuna over 15 kg is being bought at a rate of MVR 25. The CEO said that the facility will also purchase skipjack tuna as usual, and yellowfin tuna will continue to be bought from the Male' region.
The CEO further stated that this is a beginning, and very soon a cold storage will be established in Kanduoiygiri, and arrangements will be made for fishermen to get fuel and ice from there. Additionally, in the future, apart from processing there, fish will be taken to other MIFCO centers for processing and released to the domestic market, and the fish will also be used for export, the CEO said.
The 4-hectare Kanduoiygiri was previously used as the main hub for lifestyle products produced by MIFCO. At that time, in addition to producing ready-made or freshly bought and eaten items, the production of skipjack and yellowfin tuna loins was also carried out on the island. After the place was taken from MIFCO and handed over to MNDF, while MIFCO and large yellowfin tuna fishermen were expressing disappointment and concern, the island has now been handed back to MIFCO and brought back into operation.
Kanduoiygiri has been handed back to MIFCO while preparations were underway to establish a large yellowfin tuna processing facility on a 25,000 square foot plot in Hulhumale', which was arranged for MIFCO in exchange for the island. The Fisheries Ministry stated that the funding required to establish this place has been arranged by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
