Deputy Prime Minister visits Marina Seafood fishing vessel at Port of Mogadishu during Fisheries Week

Mogadishu (SONNA) - The Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Salah Ahmed Jama, on Thursday made an inspection and encouragement visit to the Somali fishing company Marina Seafood and its fishing vessel, Maanya Mooya, at the Port of Mogadishu, as the country marks its National Fisheries Week.

The Deputy Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, Ahmed Hassan Aden. They were received at the port by the Deputy General Managers of the Port of Mogadishu, Dr. Ali Haji and Eng. Ismail Aw Muse, before touring the vessel, which had docked at the port.

Maanya Mooya is a 24-metre longliner built for Marina Seafood in Sri Lanka by the boatbuilder Dhanusha Marine Lanka Exports. When it was unveiled near Colombo in March 2025, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Fisheries described it as the largest fishing vessel built in the country to date.

The vessel is fitted with a 70-cubic-metre insulated fish hold, a chilled room and a blast freezer that operates at minus 40 degrees Celsius, allowing high-value catch to be frozen quickly at sea. It also carries a hydraulic longline winch, radar, satellite internet and closed-circuit cameras covering its working deck.

The vessel was formally welcomed at the Port of Mogadishu in August, when it began commercial fish exports from Somalia. At the time, the General Manager of the Port of Mogadishu, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Nur (Ameriko), praised the company and said the port would give priority to supporting exporters.

Marina Seafood describes itself as a vertically integrated fishing and seafood processing company based in the Jaziira area of Mogadishu. The company says it operates a processing facility powered by renewable energy, where catch is filleted, graded, frozen, vacuum-packed and stored before being supplied to local and international markets.

Its products include demersal and pelagic fish, shrimp, lobster and crab, as well as squid, cuttlefish and octopus.

The visit took place during Somalia’s National Fisheries Week, organised by the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, which opened in Mogadishu on 26 October under the theme “Building Partnerships for Sustainable Growth”. Now in its third edition, the event brings together government officials, diplomats, investors, fishing companies and other stakeholders in the blue economy to promote the sector’s opportunities.

Somali fishery products gained duty-free access to the Chinese market under a protocol signed by Somalia and China in July 2026, opening a new destination for exporters in the sector.

Speaking during the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister commended Marina Seafood and the Somali business community for having the courage to invest in and export the country’s resources.

He said the government is committed to encouraging and facilitating trade, and that particular priority is being given to traders who export, in order to increase the country’s domestic production.