A new Ensis Fisheries factory under development in the Maldives aims to provide a steady supply of fresh and canned yellowfin and skipjack tuna to markets in Europe and the United States.
The new zero-waste facility in Hulhumalé is expected to be completed by the end of October 2018, Ensis General Manager Hussain Afeef said at Seafood Expo Global. Ensis is investing USD 15 million (EUR 14.2 million) in the plant, which when complete will handle 25 metric tons of raw material per day. The facility will also have a cold storage capacity of 1,500 metric tons, designed to allow the company more capacity to purchase tuna from local pole-and-line fishermen in the Maldives, which Ensis plans to turn into an increase in export volumes.
“The seafood industry in the Maldives has been developing steadily over the last 15 years, and Ensis is taking the next step with this new facility,” Afeef said. “It will be a game-changer.”
Ensis is the largest tuna exporter in the Maldives, with a more than 50 percent share of the market. In total, the company exported 3,200 metric tons of fresh tuna and an additional 1,500 tons of frozen tuna in 2017, valued at USD 58 million (EUR 47.6 million). France is the top destination for tuna produced by Ensis, receiving 35 percent of the company’s total production. Italy is second with 19 percent, and Germany is third, taking 18 percent of Ensis’ tuna.
Sustainability credentials and freshness are the two qualities that differentiate tuna from the Maldives, Afeef said. The Maldives’ pole-and-line skipjack tuna fishery has been certified as sustainable by MSC since 2012. Ensis will also produce yellowfin tuna caught by handline and pole-and-line at the new facility. Pole-and-line fishing is the most selective and most environmentally sound method of fishing tuna, according to many sustainable fishing organizations, including the International Pole and Line Foundation and Greenpeace.
In addition, Ensis has been recognized for its work supporting the local community in the Maldives, having received the Maldives President Public Service Award and recognition from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). Its new cannery, when complete, will add to its local impact by employing around 250 people in the Maldives.
“We want to be a sustainable source of tuna for our customers, and a sustainable source of income for the fishing community,” Afeef said. “We don’t compromise quality for quantity.”
