By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar
KUALA LANGAT, July 2 — Some 200 fishermen in the state have benefitted from RM400,000 worth of equipment aid via the Selangor Agropreneur Development Programme: Fishermen Assistance.
State executive councillor for agriculture and infrastructure Izham Hashim said the equipment incentives of RM2,000 per individual included drift nets, nets, fuel tanks, fish boxes, and lubricating oil.
The aid recipients are from the five Fishermen Associations' of Sepang, Kuala Langat, Port Klang, Sungai Besar, and Kuala Selangor.
“This is a continuation of ongoing assistance to empower the fishermen in this state, which will be distributed from time to time.
“We look at the fishermen's current needs and provide assistance based on their requirements. There is also other equipment assistance, like sonar devices to detect fish locations,” he said.
Izham was speaking to the press during the symbolic handover of the incentives at Dewan Kebudayaan Homestay Batu Laut today.
He added that the targeted assistance is crucial to ensure that fishermen are equipped with the latest and most advanced equipment suitable for current needs.
“These fishermen not only earn an income for their families but also contribute to the people's food sources to ensure food security for Selangor and Malaysia.
“Of course, their current needs, including marketing, are taken seriously, including deploying artificial reefs in several areas like Batu Laut and Bagan Nakhoda Omar for at least RM350,000 to ensure they can generate better income,” Izham said.
The Selangor Agropreneur Development Programme: Fishermen Assistance is one of the initiatives under the Selangor Agricultural Transformation Plan (PeTA), implemented to strengthen the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors in Selangor until 2025.
Among other things, PeTA serves as a holistic and systematic guideline for advancing the agricultural sector, with the aim of ensuring food supply and increasing the income of farmers, breeders, and fishermen.
