Processor

Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO)

Maldives
11
Years of IPNLF Membership

Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) has over 40 years of experience in the business from their early beginnings in 1979 when the first cannery was built to the current day where MIFCO provide a ready market for the local fishers to land and sell their daily catch.  The company has cold stores at 3 major landing locations with extensive storage facilities. Today the company boasts of decades of experience and knowledge of the industry, through which its endeavours contribute extensively to shaping the future of this leading Maldivian industry.

At A Glance

Supplying to
Costa Rica
United Kingdom
Thailand
Japan
Germany
Vietnam
Switzerland
Traceability

MIFCO have implemented traceability systems to trace their fish back to the vessel on which it was caught. These catch certificate details provide data including the vessel name, license details, the area and the date and time of catching and landing.

Responsible Sourcing

Part of MIFCO's pledge to source responsibly includes regular third-party audits. The Cannery is audited against the SEDEX ethical standard. In addition, as per their Facebook page, they invest in the quality of life of their employees providing numerous social and sporting activities for all those who work at the factory. 

Eco-Labelling

MIFCO has been partnering with IPNLF and Dolphin Safe to provide Eco-Labels on their products. This means that the product you consume has been handled with care for the environment and the coastal community from which it was sourced.

We are proud to supply sustainable and responsible fishery products. The traditional fishing method is nature friendly and is a prestigious heritage passed on to generations. The appreciation of our products in the international market has made fishing a promising occupation for youth. We will strive to benchmark Maldivian Fishery products in the global market.

 

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MIFCO Website

Our Fisheries

Maldives pole-and-line skipjack tuna

Indian Ocean
The Maldives pole-and-line skipjack fishery has been operating for centuries and has been the lifeline of the Maldivian economy since before the boom of the tourism industry in the mid 1970s. The fishery not only provides a large proportion of the country’s income from the tuna trade and export, but also provides one of the only sources of protein for the Maldivian population, also contributing to a stable livelihood. The Maldivian pole-and-line fishery is located in the Arabian Sea within the Indian Ocean.
Maldives
Skipjack Tuna
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Maldives pole-and-line yellowfin tuna

Indian Ocean
The Maldives pole-and-line fishery contributes significantly to the country's economy and also to the local, Maldivian people. Yellowfin and skipjack tuna are one of the only protein sources available to this community, so they rely heavily on the fishery.
Maldives
Yellowfin Tuna
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Maldives handline yellowfin tuna

Indian Ocean
The Maldives handline yellowfin tuna fishery sells the majority of the yellowfin tuna catch to processing factories, which then export the product across the world in the trade market. The proceeds from these exports go to support the island communities across the Maldives.
Maldives
Yellowfin Tuna
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Company Policies and Reports

MIFCO is committed to provide great customer satisfaction by producing safe and high-quality fishery products that meet and exceed their customers’ expectations.  This starts with the exclusive use of environmentally friendly harvested and sustainably caught fish that meet national and international specifications and comply with all applicable domestic statutory and regulatory standards.

 

The management teams in the MIFCO processing plants work collaboratively with their workers both directly, and through their elected worker committee, recognising the vast contribution that they make to the company. MIFCO Plants have a culture of continuous improvement developing their food management systems to further improve their performance and efficiency and using HACCP protocols to ensure the safest and best quality products.   

 

Fisheries Improvement Toolbox (FIT) Engagement

MIFCO has always been a great champion of the Maldivian pole-and-line fisher, supporting the communities with their long, rich cultural history of tuna fishing using traditional one-by-one methods. In recent years, they have become key stakeholders in many of the environmental projects that the Maldives have been supporting and engaging in. 

In 2020, MIFCO became stakeholders in the ‘Joanna Toole Ghost Gear Solutions Awards’ This saw the implementation and the ongoing community engagement with the retrieval and repurposing of ghost gear such as discarded or lost fishing nets which often drift into the Maldivian waters from commercial vessels. These nets frequently continue ‘ghost’ fishing as well as entangling endangered and threatened species and can cause environmental damage for many years.  

Further to this, in 2021, they signed an agreement for the Hoarafushi Ice Plant. This project further strengthens the ability of Northern fishers to be able to deliver top quality chilled storage and transportation of their fish. 

Marketing Engagement

Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) have over 40 years of experience in the business from their early beginnings in 1979 when the first cannery was built to the current day where MIFCO provide a ready market for the local fishers to land and sell their daily catch.  The company has cold stores at 3 major landing locations with extensive storage facilities. Today the company boasts of decades of experience and knowledge of the industry, through which its endeavours contribute extensively to shaping the future of this leading Maldivian industry.

Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) Blog