About 300 coastal fishermen submitted a memorandum in support of the authorities’ decision to increase fish net’s mesh size at the state Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority headquarters here today.
Carrying banners and placards, the group gathered in front of the authority’s main building at 2.30pm.
Led by the Penang Fishermen’s Association chairman Md Zainol Ajamin, the group handed over the memorandum to deputy State Fisheries Development Authority director Mohd Rafi Hasan.
“The new ruling on the size of fish nets is very timely and long overdue.
“We thank the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry for coming to the aid of tens of thousands of coastal fishermen in the country,” he said.
Early this month, the government enforced a new regulation requiring local trawlers to use fishing nets with at least 38mm of mesh size to protect marine resources.
However, the new ruling had raised the anger of some fishermen in Selangor, Perak, and Penang who refused to go out to the sea in protest for over a week.
2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad