Consultative Meeting on Promoting Fisheries Sector Cooperation Between India and Maldives

A consultative meeting on promoting fisheries sector cooperation between India and Maldives was held by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with the High Commission of India in Male’, along with Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Sea Food Exporters Association of India (SEAI).

This meeting was held with an objective to enhance export of tuna products from Maldives to India for consumption, reprocessing and value addition. Government authorities of Maldives and India, and sea food exporters and importers from both countries held interactive discussions to take initiatives ahead and chart action plans for future collaboration. In response to queries from the Maldivian private sector exporters in the fisheries industry, the Government of India clarified that duty-free export of tuna and tuna products to India are afforded to Maldives under the 2011 SAFTA notification.

In this meeting, Minister of Economic Development of Maldives, Honourable Fayyaz Ismail expressed his keenness to expedite export of fishery products to India. Minister Fayyaz also invited Indian businesses to invest in alternative areas of fishery, such as aquaculture and mari culture in the Maldives.