Minister to Parliament over delays in expanding Kooddoo’s capacity

The Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan is to be summoned to the Parliament again to question delays in expanding the capacity of the Fisheries Complex located in Ga. Kooddoo.

Parliamentarian for Villingili constituency MP Saud Hussain proposed to summon the minister to ask four questions.

-         Explanation for delays in starting the work on expanding the harbour and increasing cold storage capacity under the government’s plans under the project to increase the capacity of the fisheries complex

-         Why a canning factory cannot be established in Kooddoo, that would allow freshly caught fish to be processed in a more cheap manner and canned as soon as fishermen bring them.

-         Whether the ministry has done any work to establish the canning factory

-         What are the things being done by the ministry to solve the issue of failing to meet the demands during times when a higher number of fish are caught

Recently, with an increase in the number of fish being caught, MIFCO limited the amount of fish they weigh, as they were unable to meet the demands.

Hence, from April 6 onwards, MIFCO has been weighing only six tonnes of fish per dhoni. In contrast, some of the dhoni’s travelled to Kooddoo, with up to 60 tonnes of fish.

Many fishermen expressed concern over MIFCO’s decision to limit weighing fish, with some even going to Kooddoo on Tuesday to express their concerns.

Moreover, there have been videos going viral on social media showing fishermen dumping their catch back into the sea after being unable to weigh it.

 This would mark the second instance the Fisheries Minister is being summed to the Parliament over issues related to weighing fish.

On Sunday, March 10, the minister was questioned regarding the delays in commencing work after announcing the project, a Saudi funded 25-tonne ice plant to be developed in Ha. Dhidhdhoo.