OYA: The laws governing and regularising riverine and coastal fishing in the state will be amended in order to better manage Sarawak’s coastal and riverine fishing industry.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg revealed this in his speech yesterday when officiating at the Pasar Sabtu ceremony to launch work to install artificial reef balls along the Oya-Mukah coast.
He pointed out that according to the Federal Constitution, riverine and coastal fishing in Sarawak was under state autonomy and therefore it was only right for the state government to amend the law according to the needs of the state.
He said the amendments would enable the state to manage and administer fishing activities in Sarawak’s rivers and coastal waters in a structured and organised manner.
“Our state lawyers are looking into the amendments of the law but it may not be in time for tabling in the November Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) sitting.
“If not in time this November, we will do it in the April sitting,” he noted.
The existing law that governs coastal and riverine fishing in Sarawak’s rivers and coastal waters is the State Fisheries Ordinance (2003).
Abang Johari told the people that the amendments would provide, among others, for Sarawak to have its own enforcement unit to enforce fishing laws in the state.
He further added that the enforcement unit would have the power to police coastal areas and detain illegal foreign fishermen encroaching Sarawak waters.
On the artificial reef ball programme, he pointed out that the state government had approved an allocation of RM70 million to install reefs ball along the coast from Sematan to Lawas.
The state government had to use money from its own coffers for this, he added.
He said the reef balls had proven to be an effective method to increase marine life population and deter illegal trawling.
On another matter, he stated that the state government would formulate a scheme to assist fishermen who lost their income during the monsoon season.
“We have to assist our fishermen as the federal government has decided to stop giving such assistance but for the quantum of assistance, I will announce in the coming November DUN sitting,” he added.
Earlier, Urban Development and Resources Assistant Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the reef ball programme would see 16,000 balls installed along a 1,000km coastline from Sematan to Lawas.
The programme started in 1998 and when completed, it would be the longest artificial reef in the world, he added.
