22 Jan 2009

Marshalls in line for Japanese-funded fish market

4:10 pm on 22 January 2009

The Marshall Islands authorities say Japan may fund a fish market facility at a cost of about three million US dollars.

The director of the Marine Resources Authority, Glen Joseph, says the project in the Uliga Dock area is awaiting the approval of the Japanese cabinet after going through all the preliminary review, vetting and design steps.

Mr Joseph says he hopes the approval will be given so that the project will start during Japan's upcoming fiscal year, which starts on April the 1st.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency would construct a fish market building that will contain a retail area, cold storage facilities, processing rooms for adding value to fish products, and provide boats for transporting fish from remote islands to the market in the capital.

The Marshall Islands and Japan, which formerly administered these islands under a League of Nations Mandate between the two World Wars, maintain close diplomatic ties, with this western Pacific nation consistently voting in support of Japan at International Whaling Commission meetings and at the United Nations.