MEMBAKUT: A total of 330 fishermen from Kampung Binsulok and Kampung Likas Binsulok will benefit from the marine fishery rehabilitation strategy implemented by the Sabah State Fisheries Department.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Yahya Hussin, said he was happy to note that the community has already initiated a ‘Tagal’ committee to monitor and protect the area from encroachment and destructive fishing.
“The community themselves would only be allowed to fish with the use of fishing rods and that fish weighing 300 grammes and less must be released into the sea,” he said at the ceremony to place the first batch of 18 soft-bottom artificial reefs into the sea, off Kampung Binsulok near here.
Yahya, who is also State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, said the use of nets and other fishing gear were banned at the site.
He said the success of the project would ensure a better economic well-being for the fishermen.
“The soft-bottom artificial reef is another innovation which the Fisheries Department adopted particularly to target ‘soft’ and muddy areas and is efficient as a habitat for fishes and rehabilitation of coastal eco-system,” he said.
Yahya said the Fisheries Department was allocated RM1.5 million in 2010 to initiate the projects throughout Sabah and RM300,000 was set aside for the Beaufort District. — BERNAMA