Fishermen association calls for gov’t support following fishing moratorium

A fishermen’s association is calling on the government for support following the fishing moratorium that ended yesterday. 

The annual summer fishing ban began May 1 in China’s major seas in the north, east, and south to conserve the marine fishery.

The fishing ban covers the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the waters north of 12 degrees north latitude in the South China Sea.

Despite the end of the ban, most fishing boats in Macau are still docked without any arrangements to leave. 

While in Zhuhai, over 1,200 fishing boats were allowed to leave and work.

This has caused local fishermen to be disappointed with the authority.

“Due to the pandemic, the Zhuhai authority had prevented local fishing boats leaving for the mainland for repair work, and this had a big impact on the local fishing sector,” said a representative of Macau Fishermen’s Mutual Help Association to local media Exmoo.

“The situation (fishing boats docked in the port) may not change soon. It depends on the trends of the pandemic and measures imposed by the Macau government,” she added.

“Fishing boats are also subject to the pandemic prevention measures of the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, resulting in the fact that the goods of local fishing boats can’t be sold to Hong Kong fishermen,” the representative explained. 

Since the Zhuhai authority has blocked people who travel to Zhuhai from Hong Kong, local fishing boats can’t work and their income has been affected. “But the Zhuhai authority has granted RMB13,800 to fishermen who are affected by the restriction,” the representative added.

In Macau, the government launched a training course for fishermen during the fishing moratorium. Fishermen who completed the course were able to get an allowance of MOP10,000, 

“The enrollment conditions of the course are too strict, because it required that applicants have no other jobs, including no part-time jobs, for them to be eligible to apply for the training course,” she said. 

Furthermore, according to the representative, most fishermen expressed support for the new anchorage rules for Inner Harbour that was published yesterday yet hoped that authorities can adjust some measures.

One of the rules prohibits the use of fire to cook meals and the fishermen’s association considered this rule unreasonable. 

There is also a requirement that some activities are only allowed when the boat is in the control area, and the association considered that this is inconvenient for fishermen. Staff Reporter