MUKAH: Local fishermen are expected to enjoy better sea harvest in future once the additional 65 units of artificial reefs have been deployed in the sea here.
There are two types of artificial reefs to be deployed at the sea off Mukah River estuary and Penipah sea respectively. These include 25 units of trawler fishing-stoppers and recreation (40 units).
Among the benefits of the artificial reefs include acting as a stopper to trawler fishing, thus helping to restore the habitat for demersal fish which had been damaged by the trawlers, said Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi.
He said it would also help to increase the source of coastal marine fisheries, while creating new habitats for fish and other marine life.
“It would also help to enhance the economy of coastal cum traditional fishermen as they do not have to go far to catch fish,” he said when launching the deployment of artificial reefs programme at a cargo wharf here yesterday.
The former Dalat and Mukah District Council (MDDM) walikota added the artificial reefs would also support the development of recreation fisheries because the areas which have reefs also have various types and sizes of fish.
He explained that it would also make the location and reefs site as recreation as well as enlarging the growth area of corals.
According to him, the project for the construction and deployment of the artificial reefs for the Sarawak Marine Fisheries Department (JPLS) was implemented by the Public Works Department (JKR) at a cost of RM887,845.
He added the trawling fishing-stopper and recreation artificial reefs were constructed this year and implemented within a period period of four months.
Head of Fisheries Region II, Sibu, Norasmah Mantali, a JKR official, a Sarawak administrative officer who represented Mukah Resident and Mukah district police chief DSP Muhamad Rizal Alias also attended the event.
