Minister Ahmed Shiyam Announces Historic Investment in Fisheries Sector - Fishermen Day Speech 2025

Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ahmed Shiyam has stated that the government of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has made historically major investments in the fisheries sector.

Speaking at the official ceremony marking Fishermen’s Day, Minister Ahmed Shiyam highlighted that the fisheries industry was in a very fragile state when the current government began its term.

He stated that previous administrations had not implemented the long-term development policies required to advance the fisheries sector, noting that efforts had been limited to short-term, temporary measures.

Acknowledging the major challenges facing the government in developing the fishing industry, Minister Ahmed Shiyam noted that while the previous government had raised the fish purchase price from MVR 17 to MVR 25 for political gain, continuing to purchase fish at that rate would have required the government to provide MIFCO with over MVR 1 billion annually. He further stated that this unsustainable pricing policy had placed financial constraints on private sector companies, pushing them towards severe economic distress and bringing some close to bankruptcy.

The Minister assured that the current government remains committed to providing permanent solutions to all concerns raised by fishermen. And highlighted that, under the guidance of His Excellency President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, and through the collaborative work of various ministries and their teams, projects worth MVR 4.5 billion have been initiated. These projects are expected to be completed within the next two years, representing an unprecedented level of investment in the fisheries industry by any government in modern times, the Minister emphasised.

Furthermore, Minister Ahmed Shiyam stated that by the end of this five-year term, the Maldives capacity to store fish will increase to 25,000 tonnes at any given time. He noted that many projects are being undertaken to achieve this goal, expressing confidence that by the end of the presidential term, permanent solutions to fishermen’s concerns will be secured.