Third round of Mariculture Training Program concludes; 91 trained so far

The Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture, and Ocean Resources has concluded the third round of this year's Mariculture Training Program. The closing ceremony was held in K. Maniyafushi and was officiated by Minister Ahmed Shiyam. The program aims to develop skills in establishing and operating hatcheries for aquaculture, with the goal of building a sustainable mariculture industry in the Maldives. In his speech, Minister Shiyam noted that the training participants are a key part of efforts to expand the industry. He added that developing the mariculture sector as an industry could significantly reduce the country's seafood imports. The minister also highlighted that free trade agreements with various countries present opportunities for the fisheries and mariculture sector, allowing duty-free exports of fish and fish products. The 13-day course, held from the 10th to the 22nd of the month at the Research and Training Facility in K. Maniyafushi, saw participation from 15 individuals across different atolls, including one woman. The program covers topics such as aquaculture systems, live feed production, cultivation of grouper, snapper, Maldivian sea cucumber, lobsters, and seaweed, disease identification and prevention, and environmentally friendly mariculture practices. Participants also received hands-on experience in cultivating grouper, snapper, and sea cucumber. Previously, two such programs were conducted annually, but the government has decided to increase it to four programs starting this year. So far, a total of 91 people have been trained through the program. The fourth round of the program is scheduled to be opened to the public and held in November this year. The program is conducted by the Maldives Marine Research Institute under the Transform Project, supported by the World Bank.