BY AINI SELIKANG
TANJUNG MANIS: Fishermen who wish to apply for a special boat licence must meet certain criteria set by the state Marine Fisheries Department.
According to the department’s deputy director of development Haliza Sulaiman, among the criteria were the size of the boat which should not be less than 6m and not more than 15m as well as the body of the boat should be painted using orange colour (Nippon Paprika 611).
“In addition, the boat must be owned by the operator and transferring ownership is prohibited except by reason of death — it will be transferred to the owner’s child who must also be a fisherman.
“Meanwhile, the consideration of eligibility for subsistence allowance, diesel subsidy, fish landing incentive as well as other incentives is subject to performance and landing report for one year (from the date the licence is issued),” he said at an event here, today (15 Oct).
Haliza added that the boat registration must be completed within three months from the letter of approval to register a fishing vessel (special approval).
Failure to do so, he said, would result in the approval being revoked on its own.
“The department also reserves the right to revoke the licence if the applicant is found to have violated the conditions or is no longer a fisherman,” he pointed out.
Commenting on the assistance for organic agriculture projects under the Food Assurance Fund (DJM), he said besides aiming to increase production and productivity of the agro-food sector, it was also to ensure that agricultural entrepreneurs get a decent income and ensure food production does not decline.
“All this assistance can help increase the production and economic status of the households of local fishing families,” he explained.
