Japan Funds Modern Fish Market Construction in Malé to Boost Fishing Industry

Japan will fund the construction of a modern fish market in Malé through a grant aid program, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced during a community meeting with Henveiru ward residents on Sunday. The project, originally initiated during President Muizzu's tenure as Mayor of Malé City, had faced implementation delays due to various challenges. The Japanese government's intervention will revive the initiative, with a technical team expected to arrive soon to begin construction work. The new facility will be developed as a mixed-use complex combining a modern fish market and vegetable market at the site of the existing local market. The development will also include a dedicated office building to house fishing industry companies and associations, centralizing operations within a single location. President Muizzu confirmed that the original plan from former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's administration will be followed, with construction taking place on previously designated reclaimed land. To enable permanent development, the government has allocated temporary spaces for the local market, travelers' market, and dried fish market operations. Once these interim facilities become operational, construction will begin on the seven-floor modern fish market, addressing long-standing space constraints that have challenged Malé's fishing industry infrastructure.