The Marine Contril Department at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture has intensified inspection campaigns at the coasts and local markets in cooperation with concerned authorities to crack down on marine law violations, Hussain Maki, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Marine Resources, said.
The campaign aims to apprehend violators of the laws of fishing, he said, indicating that it includes verifying fishing licenses of all kinds, inspecting fishing equipment and how they are used, types of fishes allowed to be caught according to season, and the safety of the workers’ procedures.
Maki said that the number of inspection campaigns rose from 298 campaigns in the year 2021 to 341 campaigns in the year 2022.
The Ports and fishing management launched the service “Sayyad” on the phone number 38488040, which is a service that sailors and citizens can contact in the event of reporting violations, he said.
He also pointed out that the “Sayyad” service comes as part of community partnership initiatives with seafarers in documenting violations, stressing that fishermen are essential partners with the ministry in achieving the desired goals for the advancement of the fisheries sector.
The Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Marine Resources called for accuracy in spreading information and communicating directly with the concerned departments through Sayyad.
A set of executive decisions were issued to regulate fishing and protect marine resources in 2018, most notably the immediate ban of fishing using bottom trawling in territorial waters.
Source: Bahrain News Agency