Govt allocates 1,056 fishing gear package for Kotabaru

Kotabaru, South Kalimantan 19/11 (AntaranewsKalsel) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has allocated 1,056 eco-friendly fishing gear packages for small fishermen in Kotabaru district, South Kalimantan.

"The aid is sent in stages, with 573 packets coming this week," the Fisheries Agency head Mochran said in Kotabaru on Sunday.

The aid package packed in 6,454 sacks contained a multilevel rengge millennium capture device of various sizes and trammel net. This fishing gear will be given to traditional fishermen users of lampara.

"Monday we will go to Jakarta with Provincial Maritime and Fisheries Office to consulate about the technical submission, if possible soon because fishermen are also in dire need," said Mochran.

The plan is the assistance will be directly handed over to fishermen by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti. When receiving assistance later, fishermen have to exchange it with their fishing gear.

Previously, the Kotabaru Fishery Department recorded there were about four thousand fishermen using lampara. Most of them are seasonal, while only about 1,600 are active, mostly in North Sea Island Subdistrict and Sebuku Island.

"The problem of shortage of aid realization will also be consulted, whether it can be proposed addition though it must follow in 2018," he added.

The providing of this fishing gear is in relation to the ban on the use of not environmentally friendly fishing gear type of trawling is being discussed since 2015. The government prohibits the moving fishing gear that sweeps the bottom of the waters to protect the fish habitat.