Maldives to launch premium fisheries brand, dedicated PR agency

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet decided on Sunday to establish Maldives Fisheries and Ocean Resources Marketing and Promotion Corporation; a dedicated 100 percent state-owned enterprise to market and promote Maldivian fisheries products.

Mohamed Shaheeb, the chief spokesperson at the President’s Office, shared the key decisions made during the cabinet meeting in a press briefing on Sunday evening.

He said that the cabinet decided to introduce a premium brand for fish products, and establish a dedicated corporation to manage it.

The cabinet decided to earmark MVR 37 million from next year’s state budget for the purpose.

“It will be a dedicated enterprise which will work to market all ocean resources, introduce a designated brand for Maldivian products to boost revenue from its trade, position it in the international and national market as a premium product, and explore new markets,” said Shaheeb.

The cabinet also decided to dissolve the previous Maldives Fisheries Promotion Board.

The creation of a dedicated agency to market Maldivian fish products is on the administration’s ‘Hafthaa 14’ roadmap.

In his address at the National Fishermen’s Day function earlier this month, President Muizzu said that the promotion of Maldivian fish products in the international market had been sorely neglected in the past, but that he finds it imperative to explore new markets.

“We are working on creating a dedicated agency to market and promote Maldivian fisheries products by including it in the ‘Hafthaa 14’ program. Through this agency, we will create a designated brand for Maldivian fish products, and market and promote it in international markets,” he said.

President Muizzu said that it will create the opportunity to fetch a premium rate for Maldivian fish products.

He noted that 65 percent of skipjack tuna are currently exported as frozen fish, which allows international fish processors to fetch a huge undue profit from the fish Maldivian fishermen catch using environment friendly methods.

He said that it is something that must change.