KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry, through the Fisheries Department, is considering new licence applications for additional equipment for trawl fishing during the monsoon season (PTMT) to Zone A vessel owners.
Its deputy minister, Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi, said the vessel owners are required to comply with the necessary conditions, such as the need for the vessels to be installed with turtle exclusion device equipment.
“However, the number of special approvals for PTMT equipment license is subject to the capacity and resilience of an area compared to existing fisheries resources.
“This is to ensure the fisheries resources can be managed sustainably, reduce congestion in the catch zone and avoid conflicts among fishermen,“ he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat here today.
He was responding to a question from Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (PAS-Setiu) on whether the ministry would consider approving temporary trawl license to catch shrimps to fishermen during the monsoon season.
Che Abdullah said as of October 2020, the Fisheries Department had issued 148 temporary trawl licenses for additional equipment for the purpose of catching shrimp during the monsoon season, which is from November to March.
He said the licence is issued to operators of Zone A traditional vessels in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and East Johor. — Bernama
